The people who had been swept up in madness came to a stop. Under gazes that couldn't believe why they were being stopped, Rose opened her mouth.
"Everyone, please calm down. Don't you realize that our division like this is exactly what those people want? What do we gain from fighting each other like this? It only deepens the emotional rifts between us and leads to new fights."
Rose's voice had a deep persuasive power. Whether it was because of her characteristic sweet tone or the mysterious power she possessed, reason slowly returned to people's eyes.
Of course, there were still those who couldn't manage it.
"How can you expect us to believe that?"
"That's right! You shouldn't be defending them!"
"That man is from the lower class!"
The blatant hostility toward Osian wasn't without reason.
'It's not like I only cut off one or two necks.'
But no one thinks that far. They don't try to understand why Osian killed. Who he killed - they only look at the results.
People don't look for the causes of phenomena. They only see the resulting outcomes and fill in the preceding content with their imagination. No matter how distorted and misaligned it becomes, they forcibly fit it in, arbitrarily adjust it in their heads, and then praise themselves for it being excellent.
That's why the protesters used Osian's image. They believed that since Osian killed the rich, he was on their side and was the spark of the people to incite an uprising.
Conversely, the wealthy thought of Osian as their enemy. They considered Osian a subversive element trying to start a revolution by siding with the lower class.
'Regardless of my will.'
It wasn't a matter of intention or not. In this chaos, where the flow would go was unrelated to his will.
Those people were the same. They were the ones being pushed along. Regardless of will, they follow wherever their surroundings go, like duckweed. It's human ordinariness.
'In the end, they were all the same people.'
Before the performance started, they had mocked the people protesting below. Saying they were uneducated, that poor people were easily swayed and shaken by propaganda.
But look at this mess now. Those who mocked the protesters were, in the end, just people swayed by their surroundings.
Yes. In the end, they're all the same people.
"Mocking someone for being from the lower class - doesn't that apply to me as well?"
Rose mentioned her own origins. She was the diva of the century, but at the same time, she came from the very bottom, from laborer origins.
An icon of self-made success. There might be people who would scoff at that, but at least there were no such people among those who had seen her performance in this place. Even if they harbored such feelings inside, they didn't express them outwardly.
"That, that's..."
"And if he was in cahoots with the terrorists, why did he fight to protect us? If he was really in cahoots with them, there would have been no need to step forward."
At Rose's point, people could only glance at each other without properly answering. Her logical reasoning was one reason, but the biggest effect came from Rose's characteristic atmosphere.
'The mysterious light it's bending people's will.'
As that light swept over the audience, people's anger instantly subsided. It was as if they had been administered a sedative. It seemed even more effective than actual drugs.
'What's even more amazing is that unlike drug sedatives, there are no side effects whatsoever.'
The power to move emotions. Or the power to be influenced by emotions. It might be a simple illusion, but it somehow resembled holy light.
'Is Lukai trying to recruit Rose because he saw that ability?'
Meanwhile, Rose's persuasion continued.
"Everyone, I know what you're worried about. You must be anxious and afraid. But what if that's what they want?"
"That's..."
"We've become too divided. And the cracks are growing larger. Now is not the time to argue about who did wrong. We need to help those who have fallen and treat those who are injured."
Rose's voice and mysterious atmosphere calmed people's agitation. People who belatedly regained their reason began to perceive their surroundings.
"Th-there's an injured person here!"
"Over here too!"
They supported and helped up the injured people. Even those who had argued most vehemently at first glanced around and then joined the ranks of helping others.
"This is somewhat frustrating. When I appealed so earnestly, no one even listened."
Allen muttered beside him as if finding it absurd. It was a remark mixed with both self-deprecation and admiration. It was almost miraculous how people who wouldn't listen to any argument he made became as calm as dogs meeting their master.
"Th-there's a seriously injured person here!"
Just as the situation seemed to be slowly wrapping up, someone was carried out from one side with a piercing scream. A gentleman in his 60s with his chest soaked in blood was gasping for breath.
A sharp fragment was embedded in his chest. It was a fragment from the wall that exploded when the Liberation Army burst in.
"Doctor! Is there a doctor!"
"I have basic knowledge."
Allen hurriedly stepped forward. He looked at the patient's condition and hardened his expression.
"How is it, is it possible?"
"This... I can't carelessly touch it. If I carelessly pull out the fragment, I won't be able to stop the bleeding. Besides, there are no proper hemostatic means nearby."
Potions or emergency hemostatic agents might be one thing, but there was no way anyone would be carrying such things around. Moreover, the initial response was too late. The bleeding was already severe, and if they forcibly pulled out the fragment here, he might die from shock.
Allen bit his lip. There was only one thing he could say.
"I'm afraid you'll need to prepare yourself mentally."
At those words, the woman who appeared to be his wife collapsed to the ground. Then Rose approached the old gentleman.
"Let me try."
"Lady Rose?"
Allen was about to ask what Rose could do. But the moment he saw her eyes, he unconsciously stepped aside.
Rose approached the lying old gentleman. Her white, delicate touch reached toward the fragment embedded in the old gentleman's chest. Her hand toward the fragment hesitated. The blood-soaked fragment posed a risk of injury to her as well if grasped wrongly.
Then someone else approached instead.
Osian crouched down across from Rose and gazed at her.
"I'll do it."
"...I'll give you a signal."
The two didn't speak at length. Rose closed her eyes and concentrated. Then her lips parted and her voice flowed out.
Ahhh~
Along with a calm and settled tone, light flowed from her body. Beautiful colors like starlight from the sky spread out and enveloped the old man's body.
Osian instinctively felt that this was the signal. Without a moment's hesitation, Osian pulled out the fragment. The old gentleman exhaled. Blood spurted from the wound where the fragment was removed.
Allen, as if he had been waiting, brought torn cloth and applied pressure to the wound. But soon, with a surprised face, he removed the cloth he had been using to apply pressure.
"The wound..."
The old man's wound had healed in an instant. The face of the old man, who had been suffering from considerable bleeding, was regaining color. In that unbelievable miracle, Osian stared at Rose Melody.
"It was you."
A person with the power to heal others. The last remaining [Priest] among the playable characters was right before his eyes. And in a completely unexpected form at that.
The situation was quickly resolved. Except for one person who died while stepping forward initially, there were no other fatalities. There was only one person seriously injured - the unlucky old gentleman - and his wounds were healed by Rose.
The 1st District guards who arrived late at the scene safely guided people outside. People leaving the place glanced at Rose as they went. They seemed quite surprised by the miraculous sight she had shown.
"Was that the first time you showed it to them?"
It was what Osian, standing next to Rose, said.
"What about you? Aren't you surprised?"
"I've seen and heard so much that I'm not really surprised by things like this anymore."
Healing people with voice? It's certainly interesting. But that's all. Compared to a giant building becoming living, moving flesh, this is at a cute level.
"Actually, I haven't had many occasions to use this. It's a power I only recently became aware of."
"Recently."
"I realized it while I was taking a break and practicing alone. I don't know why it's like this, but I think it's not bad. Of course, revealing it immediately would be a bit awkward, so I was hiding it."
Her words weren't lies. She probably recently awakened to her abilities.
'Even so, to think she'd heal with songs or music.'
Should I say it's good that I found her, or should I say it's regrettable that she's changed too strangely? My head was complicated in many ways. But there was one undeniable fact.
'Her ability is real.'
It's not just a joke. From Rose's performance on stage, to her charisma, and her persuasive power. And now healing power is added to it.
'Originally, priests were more focused on treating physical wounds and strengthening the body.'
I'd never seen or heard of instantly calming people who had fallen into madness like this. Could it be that the power called priest, combined with the new person called Rose, created an entirely unexpected synergy?
"Why are you looking at me with such eyes?"
Rose seemed uncomfortable with Osian's gaze and slightly avoided his eyes. Osian pondered what to say to Rose.
That he had been looking for someone like her. And to protect this city, and furthermore this world, from outer gods. Would she believe him even if he said such things?
"You find my ability strange, don't you?"
"...If we're talking about strange things, would anyone match me?"
"That's right! What was that anyway? That white light and blue light!"
She must be referring to the Starlight and Moon Scar. Osian thought about how to explain it, then slowly opened his mouth.
"The power of the sky."
"Sky?"
"Yes. The sky we look up at, the beautiful light beyond it. That is my power."
The power of stars. The power of the moon. And the power of the sun. The miracle possessed by the Knight of the Sky, embodying the most brilliant moments that stars possess.
"I don't understand it with my head, but I think I know what you mean."
Rose nodded her head and answered. Just then, Allen, who had finished explaining the situation to the guards, approached.
"The discussion is all finished. The guards will investigate the scene, so we can withdraw now."
"What happened to the Liberation Army?"
"They seem to have already fled from the 1st District."
"From this high altitude?"
"There was a report of an unidentified flying vehicle escaping. It seems to have been Lukai and the Liberation Army members. They got properly hit."
Allen explained with a serious expression, then looked at Rose beside him and smiled awkwardly.
"Ha, haha. Lady Rose. Thank you. Thanks to you, we avoided getting beaten up. Ah, I haven't introduced myself. I am..."
"I know. Journalist Allen."
Allen's eyes widened. He seemed to have the reaction of not expecting someone like Lady Rose to recognize him.
"And I should be the one thanking you. Allen, you stepped forward to help others even in that situation."
"That's... well, it's just my nature. Hahaha. Besides, I couldn't even properly stop it."
"But you bought time for someone to step forward. I think that alone is amazing. Don't you think so, Osian?"
Osian, though the arrow had turned to him, replied nonchalantly.
"It was excellent work."
"Well now. Being praised like this makes my face burn with embarrassment."
The 1st District guards approached.
"The airship is ready."
Due to this terrorism, the 1st District would be temporarily closed. There were security vulnerabilities that needed to be addressed, and they also had to identify anyone who might have leaked internal information.
People who had come to the 1st District ultimately had no choice but to take airships back.
The guards' attitude of half-chasing them away wasn't pleasant, but they too were just acting as ordered from above. There was no room for complaint.
"If fate allows, let's meet again next time."
In Rose's case, she had her own personal airship, so they had to part ways here. She waved her hand and bid farewell to Allen and Osian. It was a more refreshing parting than expected.
"We should go too."
"Yes."
Osian, who was about to leave with Allen, unconsciously stopped his steps.
"Oh no..."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"...I forgot something important. My mistake."
Allen's expression became equally serious.
"Is there some problem?"
Osian nodded heavily and answered.
"I forgot to get an autograph."
"..."