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After sunset, the resort area was illuminated by multicolored magic stone lamps, gradually shifting from its daytime appearance into that of the night.

The entertainment district near the Colosseum displayed signboards made from tubes of light using aether lamps in front of each shop, making it interesting how you could tell which store was where even from a distance.

Back in Torch Town, aether lamps themselves had been rare, but in this city, not only were they used in place of magic stone lamps, they probably also used simplified formulas in the light-emitting sections to specify different colors.

If I remembered right, it had been something we learned in elementary school—Mr. Lionel had explained that the formula board in the metal part of an aether lamp—the socket—determined things like the color and size of the light.

As I walked through the city decorated with aether lamps, I suddenly noticed an alley where the lights cut off. I could see something like a red wall, so it didn’t seem to be a passage.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I realized it wasn’t a wall, but a red steel door. However, it wasn’t exactly an entrance to a building—just a lone door standing at the back of the alley.

There was no depth to it, so it was obvious there was no building there, but… was it being used as a wall?

If I got a little closer, I might be able to figure something out…

“Alright, this way, please~!”

I had only been observing it out of curiosity, but perhaps she thought I’d get lost, because Marie forcibly led me along.

Well, we were moving as a group today, so I couldn’t exactly go off and do whatever I wanted by myself.

＊　＊　＊

The place we were led to was a building that stood out from the surrounding shops, with its exterior deliberately painted black. It was two stories tall, but there didn’t seem to be any lights on inside. Instead, decorations made from aether lamps—serving as the shop’s sign—glowed as if melting into the darkness of the night.

Reading the letters on the sign lit in yellow light, it said “Beehive.” It meant a honeycomb, and looking closely, the second-floor windows were shaped like polygons, probably meant to resemble a honeycomb as well. That was pretty interesting.

“This place has delicious honey drinks. You can enjoy original drinks made with honey as the base.”

Marie explained as I looked up at the sign.

“Nyaha! Honey drinks sound great.”

Farah immediately showed interest and quickly spotted the menu board propped up outside, staring at it intently.

“It kind of feels like an adult place.”
“It’s still early, so there should be quite a few academy students around. Canado Generation is a pretty popular band at the academy.”
“That sounds exciting! Right, Leafa?”

As she listened to Estea’s explanation, Alfe’s cheeks flushed with excitement. Since this was the kind of experience I had never had before in her life, I had been wondering how I should act to seem normal—but seeing how much fun Alfe was having made that concern start to fade.

“What kind of music do they play?”

Like Hom, Alfe seemed to have completely warmed up to Estea after their interactions over winter break.

“It’s a genre called alternative rock, but it’s a bit hard to define. I like how it feels unique, passionate, and intense.”
“Nyaha, sounds interesting!”

Whether she fully understood or not, Farah reacted immediately to Estea’s explanation. Alfe smiled and nodded along in agreement.

“You can totally get hyped and dance right up front, or just stand back and listen with a drink in hand—just enjoy it however you like! Right, Master~!?”
“Why are you asking me?”

Caught off guard as Melua suddenly tossed the conversation my way, I answered with a wry smile.

“Well, I kinda get the impression that you’re not really into loud, rowdy stuff, Master, so I was wondering~”

Ah, I see. That was Melua’s way of being considerate toward me. As she’d guessed, I wasn’t particularly fond of noisy environments.

“Well, if it’s something Alfe’s interested in, I think I can enjoy it well enough.”

I liked watching Alfe have fun, so at the very least, that wasn’t a lie. Still, it was a bit surprising that Estea liked passionate, intense music. That kind of intensity showed in her fighting style, but her usual demeanor felt more calm and composed.

“Estea, why do you like that alternative rock so much?”

Alfe asked what I had been wondering.

“It’s because of my father. He loved music—so much that he used to play in a band as a hobby. I grew up imitating him, so I’ve been familiar with the guitar since I was little.”

“Yeah, yeah. Even though she looks like that, Estea’s got her own guitar and she’s super into music! I bet she’s gonna go all out strumming to blow off the excitement from the live show when we get back, right!?”

Exposed by her roommate Melua, Estea hurriedly waved her hands in front of her face.

“Hold on, Melua. We have lights-out when we get back, so I’m not doing that.”
“That sounds like you would do it if it weren’t lights-out, doesn’t it, Estea?”
“Oh honestly, Marie…”

Perhaps because Marie’s comment hit the mark, Estea didn’t deny it and simply smiled.

“But Estea’s guitar skills are quite impressive. I hold the passionate melodies she plays in very high regard.”
“Yeah, Estea’s guitar is really good.”

Melua agreed with Marie’s praise. Listening nearby, Hom looked at Estea with clear interest.

“I’d very much like to hear you play sometime.”
“Hehe, maybe someday.”

It seemed she didn’t mind Hom taking an interest, as Estea responded with a smile. Looking back, I was glad I had invited Estea to my place. Seeing the two of them grow closer so quickly was honestly pleasing.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been hearing rather lively music from below for a while now…”
“Huh? No way!?”
“Oh crap! We were taking it easy and it’s already started~!”

At Hom’s remark, Estea and Melua checked the time and cried out, then rushed down the stairs leading underground.

“Everyone, please hurry!”

Urged on by Marie, we opened the thick door to the basement—and the sound came crashing in like a raging torrent.

“So this is a live show…”

From the tips of my toes to the top of my head, I was instantly immersed in an overwhelming world of sound, as if I might be swallowed whole by the surging flood of music.

“Yep! For the opening hook, it’s everyone’s favorite ‘Prayer of Gratitude’ with a special arrangement! This is gonna get you pumped~!”

Already used to live shows, Estea, Melua, and Marie headed straight for the front row.

Ah, no wonder it sounded familiar—it had been arranged in a rock style. It really was unique… and interesting. Even a song I’d heard before felt completely different now.

“This is amazing! It’s so fun!”
“My heart is starting to race as well…”

Even Hom, not just Alfe, had her cheeks flushed with excitement. I was probably the same—maybe not as much as the two of them, but I could feel the heat in my face. Was this surge of emotion the power of music?

The next song drew me in from its very first note, pulling me into the world of sound that the band was creating.

I didn’t know much about music, but I could instinctively understand why Estea liked it. The sound here—the intensity of it—was unlike anything I had ever heard before.

The deep bass surged up from beneath my feet, the drums reverberated through my abdomen, and the sheer volume pressed in on my entire body.

The vocals were almost like a scream, yet the singer’s skill made it impossible not to be captivated by the lyrics. The way their fingers moved as they played the guitar, the way their voice resonated—I found myself following it all.

Maybe that meant I, too, was being drawn in by this band.