Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 140 Counterattack
In an instant, the music's character underwent a dramatic transformation, shifting from a sense of desolation and wandering to one of solemnity, brightness, and grandeur, brimming with power and the beauty of order.

"And as you all hear now!" Kruse paused at the opportune moment, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Mrs. Monica, his tone carrying just the right amount of respect, "The music I've studied, its foundation and aesthetics, largely stem from the teachings and influence of Mrs. Monica. A lady of noble birth, her music naturally embodies the core spirit of our aristocratic tradition—rigorous structure, majestic grandeur, full of light and power. This kind of major-key brilliance and grand narrative, originating from bloodline and heritage, is something those wandering exotic tunes can never match."

His insightful yet accessible explanation, coupled with crystal-clear auditory comparisons, instantly revealed the fundamental differences between the two musical styles.

Upon hearing this, Hayes's expression changed drastically.

Although he was not an expert in music theory, this direct comparison was like putting night and day side by side, making the difference immediately obvious.

Kruse not only perfectly explained the "exoticism" that his previous song "With You" might have brought, attributing it to the fusion of personal inspiration and musical skills, but more importantly, he cleverly tied the "orthodoxy" of his musical taste to Mrs. Monica!
If you continue to question the legitimacy of Kruse's music, it's tantamount to questioning Mrs. Monica's taste and style, and questioning the orthodoxy of aristocratic music that she represents!
This is a crime that Haines absolutely cannot bear.

After hearing the two contrasting demonstrations, Mrs. Monica, who was standing to the side, had a look of admiration in her eyes. She nodded slightly and said with her red lips, "Indeed, minor keys are good at expressing emotions and narrating stories in a subtle way, while major keys are good at expressing the grandeur of one's heart. Kruse can understand the difference between these two and integrate them. This kind of understanding is truly rare."

Her affirmation, like a final verdict, completely nailed Haynes to the pillar of shame as "ignorant and treacherous."

Kruse didn't give Hayes a chance to refute him at all, and then played a few more pieces.

The first piece is a march with an ancient and solemn style, bearing a distinct temple hymn flavor.

The melody is solemn and majestic, as if one can see an ancient procession marching on a sacred road, and every note is filled with the historical weight and religious piety familiar to the nobles of this kingdom.

As the song ended, the lingering notes still echoed, and Kruse's fingers didn't stop; the melody suddenly changed.

The second piece has a light and lively rhythm, with the brightness and playfulness of a country dance, as if depicting a scene of farmers celebrating by the wheat field during the harvest season.

The ornamentation techniques used were the same ones that Mrs. Monica had demonstrated at a small salon, and were considered unique to Campnor County musicians.

The third song then takes on a more sentimental and melancholic melody, like a knight longing for his distant lover under the moonlight. The emotions are sincere and restrained, full of the romanticism common in aristocratic literary works of that era.

The three pieces, stylistically distinct, are all rooted in the cultural soil of this land, bearing a distinct local imprint, a stark contrast to the ethereal transcendence of the previous piece, "With You." Kruse rose again, facing Hayes, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power:
"Your Excellency Haynes, I wonder if these pieces also gave you a sense of 'exoticism' or a feeling of 'unrest on the border'? The charm of music lies in its infinite possibilities; it can depict everything we are familiar with, and it can also carry our inner yearnings and inspirations that transcend reality. To presume to judge the origin of a piece of music as suspicious based solely on its style, or even to involve loyalty and stance..."

He paused at the opportune moment, leaving a meaningful silence, before bowing slightly to Count Campino:
"Your Excellency, music itself is innocent. The guilty ones are those who are accustomed to judging everything with a narrow perspective and trying to taint the Night of Glory with anything other than music."

In an instant, everyone's gaze shifted from Kruze to Haynes, the wolf-hair knight whose face alternated between pale and flushed. Those gazes were filled with amusement, scrutiny, and undisguised mockery.

Kruse's counterattack was beautiful and deadly.

He not only cleared his own name, but also firmly attached the labels of "narrow-minded" and "malicious" to Hayes.

Count Campno suddenly burst into loud laughter, the deep sound breaking the tense atmosphere. He clapped first, and only after the applause subsided did he turn to Lady Monica, his tone carrying a hint of friendly teasing:
“My dear sister, I never imagined that you would quietly nurture such an outstanding musician. Your vision is truly remarkable.”

Mrs. Monica smiled elegantly and shook her head, her gaze sweeping approvingly over Kruse: "Brother, you flatter me. This child is exceptionally talented and has a very high level of comprehension. To my shame, I had never even heard of the pieces he just played. This shows that he did not simply imitate, but truly understood the skeleton and soul of music, which is why he was able to create something original."

Upon hearing this, a genuine look of surprise flashed in the count's eyes. Then, when he looked at Kruze again, his admiration was mixed with a hint of scrutiny. He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming earnest, his voice carrying clearly throughout the hall:

"Young people, it's certainly a good thing to be passionate about music and cultivate one's character. But you must never forget that as a nobleman, especially the eldest son who aspires to inherit the title, the glory and power of a knight are fundamental. Without sufficient power to protect, even the most beautiful music cannot maintain the dignity of the nobility and the peace of the land."

These words, seemingly meant to encourage Kruse, actually contained a hidden barb.

As perceptive as Mrs. Monica was, her expression subtly hardened as she sensed the underlying warning in her brother's words.

This serves as both a reminder to Kruse not to "lose sight of art" and a subtle admonition to her, her "guide," for overemphasizing art.

Kruse immediately rose and gave the count a standard knightly salute, his posture neither servile nor arrogant.
"Your Excellency's teachings are always etched in my heart. The honor of a knight has always been my guiding principle, and I have never dared to slacken in my training for even a moment." He paused slightly, then calmly delivered his prepared statement, "Reporting to Your Excellency, since leaving the castle and returning to my territory, I have diligently trained and, fortunately, have successfully broken through to the level of Apprentice Knight. Furthermore... I have recently vaguely touched upon the bottleneck of the Bronze Knight realm, and I believe that under Your Excellency's glorious guidance, I will soon be able to attempt to break through."

(End of this chapter)