Osian gazed at the Terrace of Glory Allen had pointed to.
It was a place where banquets, social events, official dinners, and such were held. The structure was designed so that transparent reinforced glass and brass-decorated railings allowed one to look down below the island. Perhaps on a cloudless night, one could see the night view of Tirna.
In the case of the Ether Opera, it was literally a place where performances could be held above the sky. Naturally, that stage belonged to the most famous influencer.
'Lady Rose, wasn't it? Loraine had insisted I get her autograph.'
Osian suddenly became curious about something and asked Allen.
"Is Lady Rose coming here today too?"
"Oh. This is the first time you've asked me about a woman, isn't it?"
Allen's eyes lit up as if he had finally discovered an interesting topic. His claim about working for a media company wasn't a lie. He reacted sensitively like a shark that had caught the scent of blood from afar.
"Someone I know has been pestering me to get her autograph. But I don't know if she's really that famous."
Osian nodded, confirming that he didn't. Allen observed Osian's reaction carefully, and realizing it wasn't a lie, slapped his forehead with his hand.
"This is unbelievable. I was expecting some interesting reaction, but this is really unexpected!"
"Is there some problem?"
"No. Sigh. Rather, you're so nonchalant that I don't even feel like teasing you."
Allen seemed to be getting a grasp of what kind of personality Osian had. Just looking at his personality, he didn't seem like he'd become a superstar, but perhaps appearance was what mattered most?
While thinking such thoughts to himself, Allen kindly answered the given question.
"Lady Rose. That is, Rose Melody is a very influential figure. She's a very famous singer and diva, and even an influencer. You could say she's an angel-like woman loved by everyone. I've actually seen her, and truly, from her beautiful looks to everything else, she really seemed to shine like a star."
At the part about shining like a star, Osian became even more interested in the woman called Rose Melody.
"Above all, Lady Rose's greatest symbolic meaning would be this. She's a woman who started from the very bottom."
"The very bottom?"
"She was originally from an ordinary working-class background. No, actually calling it ordinary is laughable. You know what kind of treatment workers receive in Tirna, don't you?"
Osian nodded. He had seen it to the point of disgust while doing fixer work. The daily repetitive mechanical life. Living dead whose souls had become sick, stained with grease and grime.
"Lady Rose is a single flower that bloomed from beneath all that. At first, she just sang because she loved singing. But the pub owner who heard her song suggested she occasionally sing at his establishment. That was the beginning of the legend."
And so she became popular at the pub, and more people came looking for Lady Rose.
Outstanding vocal ability. Emotional melodies and empathy that comforted people living in harsh times. Even flashy performances that broke away from existing frameworks, different from lyrical songs.
Finally, the fish met the ocean and was able to fully display her talent.
She gradually gained fame, and people came from distant countries just to hear her sing.
"Now she could be called the greatest singer with no one who could dare compare to her. Isn't that amazing? With such a perfect story of how she got here, everyone loves her."
The support rate among the lower classes was especially overwhelming. Rose's origin was the same as theirs. And the message of comfort she conveyed through her songs was also directed toward the working-class people she had once been among.
Rose gave people hope. It was both emotional comfort through the pure medium of song, and her success story itself stimulated people.
'Deliphiros said the same thing. The appearance of a hero breathes vitality into people's bleak lives.'
The reason he tried to make himself into a hero was the same.
"Come to think of it, I heard Lady Rose hasn't been active for quite some time."
"Don't artists originally need rest periods? Before taking a break, she had been overworking excessively. It was only after her manager and people around her desperately persuaded her that she finally agreed to rest."
"But is it okay for her to sing here today?"
"Even if it's not a large-scale concert, it should be fine to liven up the atmosphere at an occasion like this. If not that, then perhaps she's finally breaking her long period of rest. If that's the case, it would be very big news."
It was a story that didn't particularly interest Osian.
He raised his head. What he saw was a cityscape that was difficult to express with the word splendor. All the people walking around here were wealthy. Their actions were full of leisure, and their expressions looked peaceful.
'While such chaos is happening below.'
As if the events occurring on the ground were not their concern. Their attitude was unusually detached from this world. Osian found that scene alien.
To think that even coming to such a place, someone being happy would seem strange to him. He almost wondered if something was wrong with his own brain.
"Come. Let's move. Even though there's time before the banquet, we should go early to secure seats and get our faces known."
Allen urged Osian and led him along.
Night had arrived.
Light disappeared and the encroaching darkness filled the sky completely. Even Celestia floating high in the sky was no exception. When night came, the sky island was also shrouded in darkness.
Darkness is fair. It doesn't care how high something is in the world. It swallows everything equally. Osian found that amusing. Light doesn't reach down below, but darkness encompasses even high places. Perhaps the true source lies not in light but in darkness.
But even so, light is created. As if to resist the darkness. The sky island Celestia was the same.
Light entered the buildings to illuminate the darkness. Energy was converted to light, casting a gentle radiance. Steam-powered mechanical lamps decorated the surroundings splendidly.
It wasn't the damp, sinking light of the ground. It was colorful and splendid. That alone was enough to intoxicate the people gathered at the Ether Opera with the atmosphere.
Osian surveyed the interior of the great banquet hall, the place boasting the pinnacle of splendor.
People had gathered to chat and gossip among themselves. Every single one was dressed in splendid and beautiful attire. The jewels adorning their bodies sparkled as they caught the light. They were literally human jewels. People who had reached the pinnacle in all fields. They were the core of the city called Tirna, and with a slight exaggeration, people who could determine the city's future.
'They all look happy.'
Osian had thought he wouldn't have any particular feelings even if he attended such an occasion. But now that he was actually here, it was different. His chest felt stuffy and fatigue washed over him.
Every time he looked at the splendid appearance of the banquet hall, the image of the protesters he had seen before coming here overlapped. Especially vivid was the scene from District 41 where he had last met Martinez. Hell was unfolding below, while above, a banquet was in full swing as if it were none of their business.
Heaven and hell exist in this world. And the owners of both places are the same people.
Do they know the pain and suffering experienced by the people living below? Probably not. That's why they can smile like that. Yesterday and today.
'And perhaps tomorrow too.'
He could see some people glancing at Osian. But no one approached to speak with him first. Rather, he only felt appraising, licking gazes.
'No matter how much I'm called a hero, I'm from the bottom as a fixer, so they probably think I don't match their level.'
Osian found that attitude ridiculous. Even in a place like this, they distinguished superiority among themselves?
Osian ignored the gazes and picked up a nearby wine glass, taking a sip. Nothing in this place wasn't top quality. Even the wine was expensive enough that one sip cost more than a worker's monthly salary. Perhaps because of its price, the taste was definitely there. The aroma was good too.
'However, I can't deeply enjoy it.'
Even good wine like this should be enjoyed when the mood is right. Being observed like a beast in a zoo cage actually ruined the taste of the alcohol.
'I can't even ask Allen for help.'
Allen also had his own business and had stepped away. Since he too had come here for networking, he was probably somewhere earnestly building connections with people. Osian didn't have the thick skin to approach people in a friendly manner like Allen.
'Even so, it's strange that not a single person approaches. Is it really because I'm a fixer?'
This was a place where those who had reached the pinnacle in all fields gathered. They had the power and authority to change the city. To such people, no matter how much he was called a hero, how ridiculous must a man from a mere fixer background be? Perhaps they might even find his very presence here unpleasant.
'Actually, some of the gazes were quite blatantly showing such signs.'
They would probably despise and look down on the people living on the ground too. There was no sense of responsibility for the power they held. No matter how much the people grieved and raged, they just laughed and chatted as if it were none of their business.
'I don't agree with the intentions of those Red Liberation Army guys or whatever, but revolution doesn't arise for no reason.'
The Osian of his previous life was a petty citizen. Just an ordinary person who liked games. Actually, his liking for games was closer to not being able to afford profitable hobbies. He wasn't wealthy enough to pursue other hobbies. To be precise, it wouldn't be wrong to say he lived somewhat strapped for money.
So sometimes he would think such thoughts. That he found it disgusting to see people who had achieved nothing on their own, who were just successful because they were born to the right parents. Without even trying to make an effort, just being born gave them privileges. Where in the world could there be such unfairness?
'Of course, I didn't express that as extreme hatred.'
Still, it would be a lie to say there was no dissatisfaction deep inside. After coming to this world, such thoughts rarely occurred to him, but seeing the banquet hall today changed his mind.
'But I can't carelessly mock them either.'
Getting angry about unfairness is also ridiculous. Because the world has never been fair from the beginning. Hoping for fairness is ultimately just personal greed. It's a meaningless illusion.
'Not everyone can be equal. According to the background they're born into, according to the talent they possess, according to their region of origin, according to simple gender. Everything is divided and differentiated.'
While Osian felt displeasure looking at them, conversely, there would be people who felt displeasure looking at Osian. Someone would argue with Osian, saying, "Didn't you also come to this place because you have talent?"
Osian couldn't completely deny those words either.
But at least Osian didn't do nothing while relying solely on his talent. He always held his sword and fought at the forefront.
At least he did his best for the duties placed before him. That's how he had lived.
"You look very tired."
That's when it happened. A woman spoke to Osian. The first thing that caught his eye was beautiful blonde hair like looking at the night sky. The blonde hair flowing and undulating like water reached down to her waist. What was even more remarkable was that a considerable amount of silver hair was mixed in between the strands.
How should he put it—like starlight twinkling among countless piled gold coins? He had seen many two-tone hairstyles, but this was the first time he'd seen such splendid hair.
The woman's appearance was the same. She was beautiful enough to be called the incarnation of beauty. From her harmonious features to her deep blue eyes that stared directly at him, they were like jewels containing the night sky.
Wearing a splendid party dress, she asked Osian.
"It's a tiring occasion, isn't it?"
Osian nodded. Perhaps because of his indifferent response, the woman who had spoken seemed surprised and widened her eyes. Osian ignored such reactions and just sipped his wine glass.
"I had the same reaction when I first came too."
She hadn't left. Osian glanced at the woman who had come even closer.
"What do you mean?"
"That reaction of people watching from around. Even if they pretend otherwise, it feels too blatant. Actually, it's the same now too."
Osian unconsciously directed his gaze to the woman's hair. Every time she moved, the silver glints were quite eye-catching. Feeling that gaze, the woman smiled and said.
"Ah. Just so you know, this hair isn't on purpose. Originally it was blonde. But I accidentally got doused with chemicals at a dye factory, and it became like this. I consider it fortunate that I didn't get hair loss. Except that gazes follow me wherever I go."
"I've never thought it was strange. It's just, it seems like starlight twinkling."
The woman burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! Ah, sorry. I shouldn't laugh."
"If it's funny, you can laugh."
"No, no. Really. It's just, this is the first time someone has reacted to me like this, so it felt really refreshing. Most people just carelessly praise me as beautiful. This is the first time I've heard someone say it's like stars twinkling. But it's not a bad feeling. It seems kind of cute too."
The woman said this while giving Osian an eye smile.
"Still, since you've come all this way here, I hope you can fully enjoy the occasion."
Osian silently nodded. The woman left, and just then Allen, who had stepped away, approached.
"Say, did you make any friends?"
"Everyone was busy watching me like a zoo monkey."
"What? Haha. Well, that might not be an inaccurate comparison. The people here have quite thick walls of wariness. But that's not what's important. The real event starts now."
As soon as those words ended, the lights in the banquet hall dimmed. The banquet hall became quiet. As if they had never been chattering, everyone stared at one place.
-Flash!
A giant spotlight shone vertically on one location. Within it, a woman like an incarnation made of light revealed herself.
With her appearance, cheers erupted from various places. Osian looked at the woman and let out a gasp of admiration.
"That woman is..."
"Hmm? Even if you pretend otherwise, you're interested too, aren't you? You have to be. It's none other than her, Lady Rose."
The woman standing in the center of the spotlight was the same woman who had been conversing with Osian just moments before.