At the moment when everyone was paying attention to Karina’s speech…
Ding-dong!
People suddenly turned their heads as if they had made a promise at the sudden sound of music. A scarred-faced man was continuously playing a simple melody on a flute that even a child could easily manage.
“What the heck? Suddenly, music…?”
“What’s he doing out of nowhere?”
“But isn’t it kinda catchy?”
The simple melody seemed so easy that anyone could join in, yet the crowd was gradually getting drawn into the repetition of that simple tune.
One person.
Two people.
Three people.
More and more people stood up, moving towards the monotonous tune instead of Karina’s speech. Eventually, those who remained seated felt awkward and also got up.
“What on earth…?”
At the strange melody, Karina, who had paused her speech, turned to look in the direction of the sound.
Johann Quartz.
Her knight.
The man was bizarrely playing the flute in a strange posture. Neither she nor Renny, who watched from the side, could understand what they were seeing, exchanging confused glances.
“Why’s he suddenly playing the flute…?”
“And why are people drawn to that flute sound?”
Renny furrowed her brow, scanning the area. Aside from a few, most people were swaying along, seemingly responding to the lively tune.
However, the tune was so simplistic that it was hard to even feel a sense of joy, leaving Renny at a loss for the situation.
“…Ah! Renny! I think I know what it is!”
“Huh?”
“That flute… it’s the one Johann got from the underground storage of the Theology Department! I heard it was a keepsake of Philia… What on earth is going on?”
Noticing the revelation of the flute’s identity, Karina looked surprised at him. He had warned her it was a dangerous object, but she never expected it would play out like this. She reflexively flinched as the melody grew faster and more intense.
“Wait, when did this happen? Karina, you should’ve told me.”
“I was too busy, and I forgot! More importantly, doesn’t that flute sound keep getting more intense?”
“Is that really a flute sound?”
Renny watched his bizarre performance with a puzzled look. Although she was fond of him, witnessing that side of him left her unsure of how to react.
[I won’t forgive you for playing that kind of tune on my flute! You’ll pay for this!]
[Contractor! Something strange is attached!]
This is maddening!
The rock spirit, or rather, Philia’s spirit, was taking control of his body without permission.
[What an embarrassment for a guy who hasn’t played my flute in hundreds of years! Hand it over!]
Filled with grievances, Philia’s voice led Johann’s fingers to start playing a new and wild melody that he wasn’t even aware of.
A cheerful yet mournful melody. Contradictory notes flowed from the flute, which was barely two feet long.
“My body is acting on its own…”
“Isn’t this exhilarating? It makes you want to dance!”
By now, the audience was unwittingly dancing along and swaying to the rhythm. Even the guards joined in. Only a few remained bewildered by the bizarre scene.
The assassins who aimed to ambush Karina were not immune to it either. Unable to even grasp their concealed weapons, the assassins began to mingle with the growing joyful music.
“I had no idea Johann could play so well!”
“Millia? How did she…?”
It was a strange sight as people of all ages, from children to the elderly, fell into a dance party. Seeing a composed Millia, Karina looked at her in astonishment before gradually nodding in understanding.
Of course, it’s Millia.
After all, she was a being with a body completely different from humans, so it made sense she wasn’t swayed by the intense performance, making it hard to gauge if it was actually a flute she was playing.
“Well, you certainly brought back something odd.”
“That’s not something he brought back. It’s a keepsake from Philia…”
“Where did he find something like that?”
Merlin, who had rarely escaped the influence, looked at Karina in shock at her reply. Karina responded somewhat awkwardly to his question.
“Johann retrieved it from the underground storage of the Theology Department…”
“Well, who would’ve thought such an item was just left lying around…”
Seeing the absurd dance party unfold, the headmaster Merlin chuckled. If this had been a serious matter raised by a cursed object, he would have worn a grave expression, but the music filling the auditorium seemed only focused on bringing joy.
“I never expected a flute like this existed…”
“It’s just like Philia’s power. She’s known for her skill in playing music that opened tightly shut gates.”
“But don’t we need to stop it?”
“Let it be. There’s a reason he pulled out that flute.”
At least, he believed Johann was that kind of person. A man who would never act without reason. The headmaster looked at Johann with fond eyes.
“A fun surprise gift for the festival!”
But why this timing?
It was an amusing sight, but the timing was puzzling. Of all moments, right now while Karina was giving her speech.
Wasn’t it an act of undermining her authority? As he pondered this, he turned to Renny, who spoke to herself.
“Could it be…?”
“Do you know something?”
“Thinking about it, there’s only one reason he’d be playing that flute now…”
“To assassinate. Am I right?”
With a serious face, Renny nodded. If he played the flute because he sensed the assassins, those assassins would be hiding among the dancing crowd.
“It would be better to eliminate them one by one while everyone’s distracted, but… it’s too hard to distinguish.”
People started to dance to the increasingly lively flute music. The auditorium was already filled with dancers, making it impossible to locate an assassin among them.
[Still not pleased, but not bad either!]
But more importantly, there are those who want to assassinate the Saint in that crowd.
[What? There are lowlifes targeting Sabrina’s descendant?]
Using Johann’s eyes, Philia glared at the crazed people. His fierce expression, augmented by a fierce gaze, created a fearsome atmosphere that could startle even monsters.
Fortunately for him, since people were immersed in the music, they paid no attention to his face.
[It’s true. There were indeed lowlifes among them.]
Could you flush them out?
[What? That’s easy enough.]
The cheerful tune abruptly shifted to a mournful melody. With the sudden change, people’s bodies began to slow down. After dancing intensely for nearly 15 minutes, those lacking stamina were now on the brink of collapse.
Johann’s fingers skillfully adjusted the rhythm.
[Who are those bastards trying to lunge at our dear Sabrina’s descendant?]
As the mournful melody transformed into an awe-inspiring symphony, a diverse group of people walked forward with dazed expressions, as if entranced.
Adults, children, women, elderly… individuals of all genders and ages walked toward the front, prompting the flute in Johann’s hand to produce a threatening tone.
The rough sound echoed like a beast roaring before a crowd, causing the variously disguised assassins to kneel involuntarily.
12 of them. The number is just right.
[How low has the Saint’s authority fallen that assassins can brazenly enter? Hey, junior. Explain this to me.]
Philia’s questioning led Johann to calmly explain the situation. The rampage of the Halphas Cult, Karina cursed, and the appearance of assassins at a festival honoring Sabrina.
After hearing the story, Philia shouted in a voice full of rage.
[What? These &@#!@& beings! I’m going to &@#! them up!]
The flood of curses made Johann wince. He had seen Philia briefly in the game, so he was aware of who she was, but this was a headache-inducing barrage of profanities.
Johann wanted to stop playing the flute immediately, but since the performance had begun, it was up to Philia to decide its end.
[Should I burst your eardrums? Or should I have you smash your head against the floor until it breaks? Or…]
Calm down. And could you return control of the body?
…Fine. You’re lucky you’re the Saint’s knight. If you’re going to play, learn to do it properly.
I’ll keep that in mind.
[And pass it on to a prettier girl, would you? I’m not into rough-looking guys like you.]
Johann hurriedly tucked the flute into his arms as he felt the sensation of his hand returning. The feeling of losing control of his body was something he could never get used to.
At least it’s good that she doesn’t seem to intend to completely take over my body.
The side effects weren’t as severe as he had imagined.
Due to the worry of losing control and the trouble of having it snatched away until Philia’s spirit dissipated, he hesitated to keep the item. Now, however, the item had turned into an ordinary flute tucked away for safekeeping.
Let’s have a look at those assassins’ faces.
The assassins were still in a daze. Johann called out to them without hesitance.
“Crafting.”
Chains sprung up from the floor, binding them.
“Johann? Could you explain what’s happening here?”
Karina’s voice, mixed with confusion, pierced his ear.
“I found the assassins with Philia’s power.”
“They don’t really look like assassins…”
“Assassins don’t show up yelling, ‘I’m an assassin!’ after all.”
“That’s true…”
Karina alternated her gaze between the dazed crowd and the assassins wearing expressions of grievance.
They looked like innocent people who were captured, but they were definitely assassins hiding weapons on their bodies. Johann grabbed the cheek of a young-looking assassin.
“W-what the hell is this…?!”
Riiip!
The sound of flesh tearing made people snap out in unison, staring at Johann and the man whose face was being peeled away.
“Is there another face underneath the skin…?”
“Why the disguise?”
“Could they be assassins?”
As a few quickly caught on to the atmosphere and spoke of assassins, the vibe turned sinister almost instantly.
Watching the scene unfold, Johann clapped his hands for attention and opened his mouth.
“On this joyous fest day, some scoundrels crawled into this auditorium to turn it into a funeral. As the Knight of Lady Karina, blessed by Lady Philia, I’ve used her flute to summon those who harbored ill will against Lady Karina, so all pay attention!
These are the very ones who dared to plot against the Saint!”
The atmosphere shifted from menacing to one filled with madness. Although people hadn’t crossed the line yet, a torrent of curses erupted.
“Scum beneath a dog!” “They’ll feel the wrath of heaven!” “Spawn of wretches raised in squalor!” were among the many insults thrown at the assassins, who only stared blankly into space.
It was because Philia’s music had inflicted serious psychic damage on them.
Thinking of the beautiful music alongside the violent character that Philia embodied, Johann peeled away the disguises of the assassins one by one, marking the beginning of a public execution that would serve as a funeral for the assassins and a new festival for the people.
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