Rawn led Kisho along the long corridor, slowly walking deeper inside.
On the walls along both sides of the corridor hung wall lamps inlaid with carved gold ornaments. On brown wooden carved frames were portraits or photographs of musicians from past generations, with each person's representative works displayed beside them.
Kisho glanced over them as he walked, but there was no reaction related to The Fantasizing Musician in his mind. He did not know whether it was because some mechanism had not been triggered, or because he had not personally performed these pieces once himself.
Kisho withdrew his thoughts and looked toward Rawn, who stood politely to the side waiting for him, and asked:
"Other than me, where are the other guests who came here?"
Rawn looked at him strangely for a moment, but still explained patiently:
"Like this—each guest first attends the banquet in the dining hall, and guests may exchange experiences with one another; at exactly ten o'clock, the master will invite everyone to view his collection; at exactly twelve o'clock, there will be a concert personally performed by the master—among which are movements that all of the guests are very interested in."
Kisho nodded slowly, masking his awkwardness.
"...Oh."
I'm not the only one who came here for no reason, right? No way, no way?
The movements that all the guests are very interested in—could it be—
At the end of the corridor was a magnificently decorated grand hall.
Rawn said softly:
"Mr. Barton, the banquet is here. If you have any other needs, please inform the attendants."
Kisho nodded and walked into the hall.
The hall was carpeted throughout. A luxurious main chandelier and eight smaller chandeliers illuminated the space brightly, as if it were daytime.
More than a dozen long tables covered with snow-white tablecloths trimmed with gold thread were arranged in the hall. On the tables were various dishes, desserts, fruits, and all kinds of wines that looked extremely high-end. Two attendants stood beside each long table.
There were already quite a few people in the hall—some stood in small groups holding wine glasses and chatting, some rested on sofas in the corners, and some were eating dinner by the tables.
However, what made Kisho extremely awkward was that, aside from him, everyone else here was dressed in formal suits. Only he was—well—wearing sportswear, and it was even something Feitan had "friendly sponsored," with Machi helping to sew it afterward.
Seeing the out-of-place Kisho, most people's faces flashed with surprise, seemingly unable to understand why his style was completely different from everyone else's.
Some people glanced at him twice and then looked away, but there was also a man and a woman who walked toward Kisho.
The woman slightly crouched down and asked Kisho:
"Hello, little friend. May I ask what your name is?"
Kisho replied:
"...Just call me Noah."
Hearing Kisho's answer, the two exchanged a brief glance. The woman smiled.
"Noah, you can call me Aria."
She paused, then continued:
"Did you come here alone? It's hard to imagine."
"...Yes, I came alone," Kisho said. "Is there a problem?"
"Everyone who comes here has achieved something within their field, but your name—we've never heard it," the man among the two spoke up. "And you don't look like you have Nen at all, and the test set by Mr. Wood isn't something just anyone can solve—"
"Eirei."
Aria shook her head at the man named Eirei, then spoke:
"Sorry, Noah.
"It's like this—my younger brother is a fan of Mr. Arlens Wood, and I greatly admire his great-grandfather, Mr. Helt Wood. Being able to perfectly perform his Deep Sea Sonata is my lifelong goal."
A look of yearning appeared in Aria's eyes.
"So we're very curious about the reason you were able to come here—no intention to disturb you. If you don't want to say, that's fine."
They're probably suspecting my relationship with Arlens Wood.
Kisho thought to himself, took out his whale badge, and waved it.
"I came in through proper channels. Believe it or not, that's up to you."
"I see. It was my brother who was rude," Aria said.
Eirei muttered:
"Sis, I told you it was impossible. All the boys from the Wood family look especially alike. He—"
"Eirei, stop talking," Aria snapped angrily.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop," Eirei raised his hands in surrender. "But it really is like that—Arlens Wood and Mr. Helt Wood looked exactly the same when they were young..."
Aria had dark lines on her face.
"When I said 'stop,' that's not what I meant!"
Kisho: "..."
So they really are suspecting my relationship with Arlens Wood! You can tell it's impossible just by looking at the hair color, right?!
Kisho felt utterly powerless to complain. This person's imagination was really something.
"...So, do you two still have anything else? If not..."
Kisho looked toward the table piled high with desserts.
"Can I leave first?"
As he spoke, he left the two of them behind.
...
Scooping up a huge bowl of ice cream balls and eating to his heart's content, Kisho squinted his eyes happily.
Long live sweets!
On the other side, several musicians were discussing things—nothing more than mutual flattery and business cooperation.
However, some people were discussing matters that interested Kisho.
A short-haired blond man frowned slightly with concern.
"I heard that anyone who's listened to or played that piece never ends up well."
Several people stood around a piano. Sitting beside it was a young man in a gray-blue suit, playing Sonata of Darkness—though it was an already released misprinted fragment.
After the piece ended, the people around him applauded lightly.
A black-haired young man wearing glasses responded to the blond man's earlier remark:
"It's probably just a rumor..."
Another brown-haired man sneered.
"Hah. Over the past ten-plus years, I don't even know how many pieces I've heard that claimed to be Sonata of Darkness, and I'm still alive, aren't I? Not to mention, whether Mr. Wood even has that chapter of the score in his collection is still uncertain."
He glanced toward Kisho, swept his eyes over him, then turned his head.
"I originally still had eighty percent hope for this, but seeing that kid... hmm..."
The blond man from earlier spread his hands in feigned helplessness.
"That child singlehandedly dragged down the atmosphere here by ten levels."
The young man in the gray-blue suit closed the piano lid and said coldly:
"If I were Mr. Wood, I would've already kicked out the people who are just filling space."
...
Kisho felt a bunch of gazes shooting toward him, but he had long since trained himself to stay calm. He scooped another large spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
He was certain that tonight he would definitely hear the authentic Sonata of Darkness, but what would happen afterward was unknown.
His only reliance lay in the two Calamity's Mouth tokens in his pocket and one Song of the Four Seasons badge. If even these things couldn't save him...
Then this would probably be the last supper—he'd better eat more.
Thinking this, Kisho stood up and said to the attendant:
"Excuse me, another serving, please. More chocolate and matcha."