Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

"Ashe turns out to know a lot about opera?"

"No, Luna. Someone like Ashlee has definitely never set foot in an opera house. She doesn't know much more about this art form than I do."

“I see.”

"Although Ash has certainly never been to the opera."

As she spoke, Ashlee tapped the table with her fingertips - after finishing their meal, they all returned to the guest room, where they could talk more comfortably than in public.

"However, Ashley can check past ticket sales records... and other data."

"Oh." After hearing this, Lunicia seemed to be interested. She couldn't help but move closer. "Well, did you find anything?"

"Compared to this year, it's like the relationship between summer cicadas and winter snow."

"Can't understand."

"Simply put, the original opera performances would not be arranged as they are this year."

Hearing this, Ella also straightened her sitting posture and seemed to be concerned about this topic. Unlike Lunicia, the former was purely out of curiosity, while Ella could not ignore the possible disadvantages to Lunicia. Lunicia was originally the type who liked adventure and was easily involved in crises. If she didn't think more carefully and pay more attention to the changes that might happen around her, Ella would definitely feel that she had failed in her duty.

"Hasn't it been like this in the past few years?"

"As you heard, Ella."

Ella always felt that Ashlee had looked at her more often today, and she didn't know why.

"…Which opera is the most popular recently?"

“Sitzberg.”

Ashlee's answer was swift and light.

"Ah, I remember this name." Lunicia clapped her hands and continued, "In the lobby of the auto show, right? There are people selling second-hand tickets nearby. I think they are tickets for "Sitzberg."

"Indeed."

Ashethelin's memory of this is clearer than Lunicia's, after all, it is a difference in memory structure.

"Anyway, the house is full today - that's not the point. Including the night before, Schitzberg has four parts, eleven acts, and a running time of nearly fourteen hours."

“Is it really that long?”

For Lunicia, who had never heard of an opera, this length was indeed a bit surprising, and Ella Hepper was no exception. They all opened their eyes wide because of this grand performance.

"Yes, it is that long." Ashlee nodded. "As the most popular opera in Muirland, Muirland Grand Theater holds a performance of 'Sitzberg' every year during the National Day holiday as one of the celebrations of the National Day."

"Ashe knows it very well."

"It's all written on the performance poster, just check it out."

"I see……"

"National Day celebrations? Three days of holiday..."

Ella Hepper groaned for a moment and said, "Is that so? The prelude will be performed on the night before the holiday, and then the second, third and fourth couplets will be performed on the first, second and third days of the holiday respectively. If it is arranged in this way, it can cover the entire National Day holiday."

"Yes, this is the normal performance arrangement. But this year, the arrangement has changed: the first couplet of "Sitzberg", "The Hall of Corpse Dragons", was performed the night before the holiday began, which was the night before yesterday, and the second couplet "The Philosopher's Wheel", the third couplet "The Witch and the Knight", the fourth couplet "Darkest Zushes"... were all performed the next day, which is today."

The group did not have dinner in the hotel last night, and when they returned to their rooms at night, they did not pay much attention to the passers-by around them, so they did not notice that the first couplet of "Sitzberg" had already begun to be performed.

"Ugh?"

"..."

Lunicia looked surprised, and Ella couldn't help but frown.

"Wait, do you mean all three acts have to be performed in one day?"

"No, it's not three acts, it's a triptych, that's twelve acts - about twelve hours."

Lunicia couldn't help but widen her eyes at this.

Although she herself is not an opera singer, she can still infer what this behavior is equivalent to from what she has done - well, for her, it should be equivalent to fighting in the ruins for twelve hours continuously. Of course there will be rest time in the middle, but compared to the physical strength and energy consumed, that little time is just a drop in the bucket. After performing all night on the first day, she had to start preparing for the battle as soon as she woke up the next day, and she had to fight until the evening. The feeling of fatigue made Lunicia feel numb just thinking about it.

"Besides, this is also a lot of pressure on the audience. Won't this arrangement lead to a boycott by the audience?"

Ashlee added.

Indeed, although opera singers are very tired after performing continuously on the stage all day, what is easily overlooked is that it is also a torture for the audience to sit in the seats for a whole day. Although watching opera is not like watching a movie, where you often sit still for two or three hours in a row and have enough time to walk around, socialize, eat or rest in the middle, it is still quite a strenuous thing to listen to it continuously for a whole day.

"Regarding this, it seems that the Muirland Opera House has invited a famous actor to play the leading role. The charm of that famous actor seems to be so great that the audience can put aside all their dissatisfaction and stay in the opera house for a whole day."

Lunisia was a little surprised: "Can this kind of thing be found in the database?"

"In addition to the poster for 'Sitzberg', they also used another large poster to promote the famous character... I think her name is 'Collette C. Caroline'."

As Ashatherin spoke, she spread out her palms, and with a pleasant sound, the prayer letters compressed in her palms, and finally spread out into a black and white sketch: it depicted a woman with long loose black hair and a tuft of eye-catching silver-white hair on her forehead. Her pupils were of different colors, but their colors could not be distinguished from the black and white picture. She had many jeweled hair accessories on her head and many earrings on her ears. Coupled with the dark black dress, she gave people the impression of a "witch" at first glance.

"'Rosalin the Witch of Ashes'... Colette Xi Caroline?"

"That's what it says on the poster. I don't know what the story of 'Sitzberg' is. I seem to have some related parts in my memory, but I can't read them out at the moment. Only the name remains."

"She is the heroine, right? What about the hero?"

Turning her gaze to Ella, Ashlee squeezed her palms again and shook out another black and white portrait.

The long white hair is tied into a thick pigtail, dragging from the ears to the waist. There is a bunch of different color on the forehead, similar to Colette, and the expression is firm. Of course, these are not the most eye-catching parts. If there is any unique part in the picture, it is undoubtedly the sharp and narrow pupils, and the pair of black horns on both sides of the head. The man in the painting wearing armor is probably the protagonist of this drama, "Pendulum Knight Schitzberg".

"Rose... uh, this is a female?"

I always feel that there are too many unexpected things today. This is the umpteenth time that Lunicia has not hesitated to express her surprise so obviously. Of course, it is no wonder that she is so surprised. After all, who would have thought that such an opera that seems to describe heroic feats would let a woman play the leading role? Speaking from experience, this is as incredible as performing three consecutive performances in one day.

"It seems that this girl is also a famous character, the female companion of 'Colette'."

“There is such a thing.”

Since the audience has no objections, there seems to be nothing more to say. It is just like having a few famous actors accompany them for a whole day - it is not necessary to focus the whole day on the opera. The theater itself is also an excellent social place, especially such a highly anticipated play, it is really suitable for making friends with celebrities.

Lunicia and Ella were thinking about other issues. After all, no matter how beautiful the protagonist's singing was, or how interesting the script was, it was not something that the three tourists who could not buy tickets would have access to. There was actually only one thing they needed to focus on, which was why the Muirland Theatre chose to compress the repertoire into one day this year alone.

This could not be because of the two famous actors, Rose and Colette. As Ashleen said, this was not the first time for them to perform "Sitzberg" at Muirand, and they could not have just arrived at Muirand yesterday. If so, they would not even have time for rehearsal and would have to rush into the performance, which is unacceptable for any experienced actor. Therefore, this became a situation that Muirand had never encountered in many years. Even if performances were cancelled due to accidents and incidents, they had never been so reckless.

Abnormal situations often mean abnormal events. If an unexpected situation occurs that is sufficient to affect the entire city, the three of them certainly will not have the energy to stay out of it - and it will also affect their trip back to Zerhar by airship. If the flight is just delayed, it is still a relatively good situation. If the accident directly paralyzes the Muirand aviation industry, the group can only consider crossing the Anda-Brun Mountains in person.

Out of concern for this situation, the group decided to use this day to collect intelligence.

If there is nothing accomplished this day, then all you can do is become passive and wait and see what happens.

The good public security in the city made Lunisia somewhat relaxed, so she chose the more efficient mode of splitting up. After leaving the hotel, Ashlee went to the lower-class area where she could avoid the places where church members were frequented, while Ella used her experience along the way to wander between the streets and taverns. Lunisia herself couldn't think of any good ideas, so she could only wander between the avenues and parks. Ah, please don't learn this headless way of intelligence gathering, it's just a waste of time.

In fact, it was not just Lunicia, but also Ashtherin and Ella who had no valuable gains.

Perhaps because there was a problem with the direction from the beginning, they never found out more information about the possible problems that might arise in the opera house. They did know a lot about "Sitzberg". Of course, it was only limited to the level of word of mouth among the neighbors. Those who still stayed here could not be called fanatical fans. Those citizens who were obsessed with opera and Colette S. Caroline had already booked tickets, gave up the opportunity to fill the streets during the holidays, and went to the Muirland Theater to grab a seat in the second-class seats and sit there all day.

Then the things you can ask are actually limited, right? This is also a good thing. Compared with aimless and multi-target exploration, limited goals are more worry-free.

"What big thing might happen recently? Ah... let me think..."

"Yes, I can't say no."

You can't say no, that means you are uncertain.

"——On the fourth day of the holiday, it seems that a grand celebration ceremony will be held in the Civic Square."

So, we got testimonies like this.

"The ceremony... the fourth day? A holiday?"

"Don't you know?" The drinker who was eating mixed pig's trotters in the pub looked at Ella in confusion, "This is really strange."

"I only heard that the holiday is three days--"

"Oh, that's different, that's different. Public servants only have three days off. Everyone else has seven days off. They can't be compared."

"I see. Is working at the airport considered a public office?"

"Of course it is. It's a low-paying job with lots of benefits. It's definitely a public office."

I see. This explains the difference. It seems that Muirand has made a lot of efforts to preserve the air transport industry.

"But you just mentioned a celebration ceremony? The actors of "Sitzberg" should have been resting at that time."

"Then we can only blame their bad luck. They still can't recover after a day. Who can we blame for this kind of thing?"

That's quite true.

"But what's the secret?"

It sounds like something that can be found out anywhere. Since a celebration ceremony is to be held, there can't be no traces at all. I'm sure that a large-scale preparation project can be seen in the Civic Square. Such a thing is totally not worth the drinker in front of him to be so mysterious, as if he is talking about something unspeakable.

"You do not understand."

He made some amateurish movements, as if looking around, then lowered his voice and continued:

"I heard from those noble grandfathers that something big will happen on the day of the celebration, so we need to prepare early."

——So, I got testimony like this.

Chapter 34 Peace

The sunlight at noon is not as dazzling as imagined - perhaps because it is winter, or perhaps because the clouds above have grown thicker. The bright white light, which should have been projected onto the earth, is left with only a layer of faint afterglow, which is neither dazzling nor bright, but instead gives people a gloomy and dirty feeling.

As the sun sets, will this feeling be felt? No. The boundary between day and night becomes blurred. Even if you do nothing and just wander aimlessly, time will pass much faster than you think. Is the sky getting darker than before? That's probably just an illusion caused by a thick cloud passing overhead. It wasn't until the girl took out her pocket watch and opened the cover that she realized it was no longer noon.

——It would not be nice to go back empty-handed like this.

At dusk, the dim sun went away, casting the last bit of brilliance on the land on the mountain top. The girl looked at the glow from afar. Looking down from the high park, she could see the broad and magnificent white dome of the Muirand Theater. As the sun set, artificial lights replaced the sun's brilliance. Whether it was the street lamps, the lanterns in the hands, or the huge crystal lamps hanging on the roof of the theater, they all tried to drive the darkness out of this civilized land and prop up a small island in the vast dark waves.

What a magical design. There must be an exciting opera being performed there right now, but not far from the theater, no sound can be heard at all. Lunisia has heard some things about this opera house from other locals. She heard that the architectural design of the opera house can maximize the voices of the actors and converge the sounds on the stage, so even without modern things like microphones, the audience can hear the lyrics clearly. It seems that the stage also uses all kinds of the latest magic props and mechanical devices, which can make the stage itself change into various shapes and create magical illusions that are indistinguishable from the real thing. With the classical singing of the actors, just thinking about it makes me feel that it is really an enjoyment that cannot be missed when coming to Muirand.

——What a pity.

What a pity, I wish I had known this sooner.

Even if the price of second-hand tickets has increased many times, the most you can get is a second-class seat, and there are many inconveniences. You may be very extravagant to take out paper money and gold coins just to get three tickets. If you spend money on such things, Father Sieli will definitely not blame you. He will only smile and say "Money should be spent like this." After all, it was Father Sieli who always said tirelessly that as an adventurer, you must go to various places, taste various foods, stay in various environments, communicate with various people, fight various monsters, and appreciate various arts. This is considered a fulfilling adventure career.

If we turn such a rich and colorful story into memory and present it to the gods, the gods will be pleased.

Muirand's sculptures, Muirand's articles, Muirand's paintings, Muirand's operas - each of Muirand's art forms seems to have an unattainable height, as if the city on the top of the mountain itself has such a charm. Just growing up and living here, you will be surrounded by inspiration like mountain fog, and the path to becoming an artist will be much easier.

It is said that in this city, there are as many bards as there are priests in Alexandria - whether it is a lot or a little, the short-sighted Lunicia cannot tell for the moment.

"Aha……"

There weren't many people in the park today. This newly built park on the cliff should have attracted many citizens on holiday, but now they were all attracted to the big theater under the cliff, leaving the park empty. Lunisia couldn't help but sit on the bench and look at the brightly lit cliff and the white dome. She couldn't help but think that this was a good place to relax.

But when she thought about it, it seemed that she should not be so leisurely and relaxed now. The sky had turned from dim yellow to dark black. Unconsciously, she had napped from dusk to late night. Street lights completely replaced the sunlight. The cold white light sprinkled on the girl's face, making her shiver.

The night air was a little colder than the afternoon air, and the last heat of the day faded away. However, Lunicia did not feel cold. Even though she was not wearing much, it was enough to isolate the coldness that came with the night mist. There was no north wind here. The whistling winter winds were isolated outside of Muirand, and could only rush to the surrounding plains and forests with terrifying sounds. The snowy path from Marie was blown by the wind of Hyperborean. It was much more difficult to spend the night there than to camp in this park.

The heels of the boots tapped lightly on the bench, making a lonely sound that echoed around. The park, which was sparsely populated during the day, became even more deserted at night. In the huge park, apart from the guard at the gatehouse, there was probably only Lunixia left. The grass, the shrubs, the rockery and the small lake here now belonged only to Lunixia, the only tourist. It was just a pity that she couldn't go boating on the lake or swing.

Opening the cover of the pocket watch, I realized that time had already passed the dividing line of zero o'clock. Now it was no longer the second day of my stay in Muirand, but the third day.

The meeting time I had agreed with Ella and Ashlee was not until the morning of the third day. If I hadn't returned by then, they would probably be worried and go out to look for me. Before that, I could just wander around. I didn't particularly want to go back for the time being. The gentle cold wind blew on my face, and there was no offensive pungent smell between the soil and the grass. Even though it was a little too quiet and I couldn't feel the breath of birds and small creatures, this was still a good place to calm my mind and relax my consciousness.

"What a beautiful night—"

I couldn't help but stretch myself, feeling a sense of liberation.

The reason why the meeting time was set for the next day was also to take into account the possibility of gathering intelligence until late at night or early morning. After all, it is not uncommon to talk all night in places like pubs. Accordingly, as long as useful information can be obtained from it, it is not a disadvantage.

I leaned back against the bench, thinking about every detail of today and yesterday, and occasionally thinking about "when is the best time to go back?" These were truly rare three days. Knowing the set deadline, I didn't feel anxious because of the short wait. Instead, I could focus all my attention on resting and relaxing. I didn't feel like I was being chased by something and had to speed up and run around.

That's not a pleasant feeling at all. It seems that sleeping and eating have become a waste of time and unimportant things. If you keep living like this, your spirit will eventually reach its limit.

Da da da.

Light footsteps sounded from one side. Someone was walking towards me from that direction, walking on the cobblestone road with nimble steps.

Who is it, coming to this place at this time?

Lunixia couldn't help but feel curious. Perhaps ordinary citizens might feel scared. Even if Myuland's defense work was flawless, those horror stories that children had heard since childhood and those rumors about ghosts and ghosts would still affect people's judgment of the night. However, these problems were nothing to Lunixia. She was a paladin, and bringing peace to the dead was her job. Similarly, because she was a paladin, she would not be afraid of thugs and monsters, and she was proud of her martial arts.

Most importantly, she only needed to listen carefully to tell that it was just the sound of a girl's footsteps.

Lunicia did not rush to get up. Although she was curious, after all, no matter who passed by here at this time, what did it have to do with her. She would leave here the day after tomorrow. This city and everyone here would probably only be a passing by and a one-time encounter for her. She didn't know if she would have the time to come here again in the rest of her life. She just hoped that the girl who was strolling in the park at night would not be scared by her.

"did not expect……"

"Huh? What?"

"I didn't expect that besides me, there would be someone else sitting in a place like this at this time."

It was a very beautiful voice, at least Lunisia felt that it was like a nightingale, blessed by the gods. It was just a short sentence, but Lunisia couldn't help but picture her meticulous appearance, focused on life... focused on career, focused on everything in front of her, and maybe even too harsh on herself because she had too many expectations of herself.