Silent Crown

by Feng Yue

“No need for pity, Mr. Ye. She’s very happy.” Caligula patted his shoulder after seeing his sympathy. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing to having no past. This is not bad. At least, she won’t be troubled by sadness or pain.”

  The youth nodded. “I hope that is so.”

  “I almost forgot why I came.” Caligula pulled some dirty scrolls and placed them onto his stall. “I wanted to give you these. These are relics from those elders. Some of our history is recorded, and I think you can use them.”

  Ye Qingxuan took them and flipped through. He looked up in shock. “These are all…Romulus’ history? They’re invaluable treasures to any scholar!”

  “Mr. Ye, you told me this afternoon that you originally came to help the patients. These things are insignificant gifts of gratitude. They’re only useful to scholars.” Caligula knocked his pipe against a rock. The non-flammable ashes fell out and scattered in the wind.

  “If possible, I hope someone like you wins the trial. If you still think it’s too heavy of a gift, then please find a better doctor for Elsa.” Chuckling, he turned and left.

  Ye Qingxuan remained in his spot and watched as Caligula disappeared into the distance before looking away.

  “Vic…tory?” he murmured. “I’ll try.”

  -

  At dusk, the smell of burning tobacco and alcohol hung in the air of the inn’s lobby. There was bustling busyness under the quiet chaos. Though it was messy, it was rare for Romulus to be so spirited.

  However, the lobby was split into two clear parts. One half was filled with the shirtless natives who drank and talked loudly. The other half was silent. The musicians who had worked the entire day ate their food quietly. After all, if one had enough money, one could even buy respect, let alone a place to eat. It was not sumptuous but it was already the best treatment in Romulus.

  The table in the center was empty. There were only a few cups of liquor and half a bottle of gin that could make many alcohols drool over. There was a gold sticker on the bottle. It was clearly a good imported product and the best of the inn. There were even some slightly-dried lemons paired with the good drink. However, the three musicians did not seem to want to talk while waiting. They just sipped their hard liquor and waited.

  Soon, the door opened. A musician in gray cloak shook off the dust at the entrance and walked straight to the table. Something invisible seemed to follow him, leaving behind small footprints. A flash of coldness seemed to thicken the air. It was heavy beastly nature that practically became tangible under the aether’s projection.

  The musician did not seem old. His blonde hair was messy like a lion’s mane. He had the vertical pupils of Summoning musicians who interacted with beasts too often. His gaze was wild and terrifyingly beastly.

  “School of Dragon Rock…”

  “Baro, the Gold Lion.”

  “Baro Hoffman.”

  Sensing his arrival, the other musicians started whispering amongst themselves, discussing the hottest topic of the Auschwitz trial, the star of the School of Dragon Rock, an elite branch of Summoning.

  When Baro casually sat down at the middle table and started drinking the gin, everyone’s gazes grew serious. Now, the three popular picks for the champion were sitting together. They seemed to have teamed up and would explore the relic together.

  There was Sam, nicknamed Hammer, the School of Destruction’s representative; Gold Lion Baro of the School of Dragon Rock; and Miller, the rising star of the northern School of Choir. Putting the three names together was terrifying. Something negative flashed through the eyes of the other musicians. They finished their food quickly and left.

  Seeing those gazes, Baro sneered. Unperturbed, he grabbed a lemon and squeezed it over the gin. Then he tossed it to the side and emptied the cup of gin.

  “Nice.” He sighed. “I was outside the entire day and now I can finally get rid of the taste of dirt in my mouth.”

  The musician on his left picked up the flagon with a smile and helped him refill the cup wordlessly. Baro wiped his mouth. Looking at his companions, he started with the main topic.

  “Sam, I heard you found another partner?”

  “I think he fits,” Sam muttered while nodding. “He has a good head.”

  Baro furrowed his brows. “But we already have three people.”

  “It’s better with one more,” Miller said on his right. “I don’t object. The more the better, right?”

  “Not necessarily,” Baro huffed. “It depends on who it is. I’m not willing to work with any weird guy. Sam, you’re too sympathetic. Don’t just add whoever into our team.”

  “You’ve heard of him, Baro.” Miller smiled. “It’s that Easterner who made things hard for those guys last night. Let me—”

  “Ye Qingxuan?” Baro interrupted with a furrowed brow. “The nominee for the weakest of all participants?”

  “Uh…” Miller froze, his expression strange.

  “What’s the use of deadweight like that?” Baro shook his head in dissatisfaction. “I heard that he wouldn’t’ve even been allowed in the city if the Angloian grandmaster wasn’t there.”

  Miller drank his gin awkwardly and said softly, “Look, a Revelations musician that’s good at exploration is always a plus for relics like these. He’s also historical studies grandmaster Abraham’s student. He can help with exploring the Romulus relic. You can relax too—”

  “Relic exploration isn’t a game!” Baro raised his voice. The scar on his forehead reddened under the alcohol’s stimulus. He was filled with disdain and disgust. “It’s already a feat if a newly-made official musician doesn’t add trouble. Don’t put your hopes on him for being useful. And anyway, my Scale Demon can explore relics too!”

  Unable to refute the claims, Miller looked away. “This is Sam’s decision. He must have his reasons.”

  “I don’t agree!” Baro’s expression was dark as he tried to keep down his anger. “Do you think anyone can join our group and split the reward? Those gold-digging pieces of trash are useless!”

  “Talk after you’ve seen him,” Sam finally uttered. Rather than being angry or wanting to argue, he stated, “He has a good head. I think it’ll be good to have someone like him on the team.”

  Baro’s expression changed. In the end, he gritted his teeth and stepped back. “Okay. If he’s not good, don’t think I’ll agree.”

  334 Good Cooperation

  Baro stepped back. However, it was apparently just because of his fear of Sam. Surrendering in such a situation made his mood worsen and grow manic again. Just like beasts, Summoning musicians were easily angered. Except those who had no emotions since birth, few people could suppress this beastly nature and control the agitation. The stronger the musician was, the more difficult for him to manage this.

  “That d*mn b*stard,” he muttered. He indignantly grabbed a lemon, squashed it, took the glass, and drained it.

  The musician beside him filled the glass up for him wordlessly and handed him a new lemon. Angered, Baro drank cup after cup.

  During the long wait, Sam stared blankly at the glass while Miller looked up at the dust on the ceiling.

  After several cups of gin, Baro’s patience finally reached its limit. He angrily smashed the table so that the whole hall was shocked into silence.

  “How long do we have to wait for that guy? Does he want us to wait for half a night?” He angrily squeezed the lemon in his hand and threw it on the ground, reaching for the gin on the table. But he grabbed nothing. That bottle of gin was taken away by someone. The remaining liquor shook in the bottle, reflecting the light like amber.

  “Don’t be angry. The most important part of life is to be happy.” The musician sitting next to him handed him a glass of water. “Come on, drink some hot water. Are you hungry? Let me cook some noodles for you.”

  Baro froze. He turned and looked to the man beside him. The man was looking at him too, smiling politely. He had been sitting there in silence since the very beginning, filling the glass fo
r Baro and handing him lemons, smiling and listening without a word. The squashed lemons were piled into a small hill before him like a hapless but organized family.

  It was only then that Baro felt the sour and stinging pain in his mouth as well as the turbulent churning in his stomach like the pain after eating dozens of lemons. But, more importantly, how did he not notice this guy if he had been sitting there for such a long time?

  Snap! His fingers sharpened, scratching five deep gouges into the table. He stared at Ye Qingxuan angrily. “Who are you?”

  “Me?” The young man smiled helplessly and took off his hat. His long silvery hair reflected the light like metal. “I’m the heaviest burden you were talking about.”

  Looking at his smiling face, Baro’s face twitched and he growled softly like a furious lion restraining itself. Now, he finally understood Miller’s complex expression and Sam’s daze when he was speaking. The youth had been sitting here since the beginning, quietly watching his restlessness for fun.

  Thinking of this, he could not help gritting his teeth. The grinding sounds were jarring. “Ye Qingxuan, what do you want?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t want to be involved in your bad luck.” Ye Qingxuan piled the withered lemons into a small tower and carefully placed a small umbrella onto it. Well done.

  Facing Baro’s furious gaze, the young man lowered his eyes, gazing at the little umbrella. He said softly, “Mr. Baro, perhaps the most important thing to you is strength, so you despise powerless people. But you need to understand that the strength you’re proud of…means nothing to me.”

  Boom! A lion roared in the void. It was overwhelming like a hurricane that almost overturned the table. It also destroyed the pagoda of withered lemons.

  “Ye Qingxuan, you’d better shut your mouth!” Baro was on the verge of losing control. The beastly nature in him was about to absorb the aether and condense into phantom beast.

  “Mr. Ye, I think that…” Miller stood out to smooth things over, but when he turned back, he saw that Sam was motionless. He froze for a moment and his expression changed subtly, shaking his head helplessly. “Forget it. Do whatever you want.”

  Seeing that they would not meddle in the matter, Baro smiled. He rubbed his fingers and harsh notes burst out, almost sparking in the thin air.

  “Should we go out and practice?” he said with a challenging smile. “If you’re a man then be a man.”

  “Go out?” The youth shook his head. “No, let’s just do it here.”

  Baro was stunned but immediately laughed out of extreme anger. “Do you think the ban of the Sacred City can protect you? There are locals around here, so I can’t do anything to you? You’re too naïve, I—”

  “You think too much,” Ye Qingxuan interrupted him. He looked up and there seemed to be a quiet moonlight flowing in his eyes. He said, “I’ll admit defeat if you can use any music score.”

  Baro froze. His face twitched as if he was either furious or grinning crazily.

  “Good!” Crimson light shot from Baro’s eyes. “Very good!” His voice was followed by a lion’s roar. An impassioned melody sounded. The head of a giant pure white lion emerged from the void. Its hair was like knives reflecting light of the metal. In the blink of an eye, half a body had appeared. The giant mouth covered half of Ye Qingxuan and suddenly shut. It could be seen that he did not want to end Ye Qingxuan’s life. However, he also needed to teach this guy some lessons!

  Bang! The big lion’s mouth closed but the scream was Baro’s.

  The lion vanished like dust and dissipated in mid-air. The beastly nature returned to Baro’s mind; the conflict between the beastly nature and rationality made his vision go black. It felt as if his head was about to burst.

  “The white lion is the representative phantom beast of the School of Dragon Rock, right?” Ye Qingxuan asked lightly. “I can see that the beastly nature has other parts mixed within. You have an iron lion in your mind? Very creative, I like it. But what a pity.”

  “You—” In the throbs of pain, Baro covered his face. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. The eye visible between his fingers had become red. It trembled as it focused on Ye Qingxuan’s face. In his lethargy, Ye Qingxuan’s face was as illusory as mist in his eyes. The youth seemed close to dissipating.

  Dimness surrounded them, leaving only a solitary lamp for illumination. Behind the lonely lamp, Ye Qingxuan’s smile was very secretive.

  “Illusion!” Baro gritted his teeth. “Your illusion…is Winterreise?”

  “Yeah, I learned it on the road for self-defense.” Ye Qingxuan lowered his head. “As you know, it comes from Winterreise. The movement is called Täuschung, which means deception. Its effect is to construct illusions while make the enemy’s movement lose target, sending it back at the enemy. It is quite good against the School of Summoning.” The white-haired youth seemed defenseless. He told Baro every detail about his movements and secrets. Then he pushed the lonely lamp to Baro.

  “I can tell you one thing: its ‘fulcrum’ is this lamp before you.” In the crackling sound of the burning light, the hum of the teenager came faintly. “There was a fire, swinging lovingly before me. I followed it around and followed it close, watching it wander around, luring the vagabonds to come. Oh, how pitiful am I to be deceived so happily. I see a warm and bright house in this dreadful night. The one I love is inside-even if all I see are just illusions…”

  “Do you think this illusion can trap me?” Baro gritted his teeth. “Even the ‘Voodoo Crypt’ candidate, that b*tch Rebecca, doesn’t dare to expose her fulcrum to me!”

  “No, I just want a fair fight.” Ye Qingxuan shrugged. “I got the geographical advantage while you don’t need to worry that the destructive phantom beast will hurt the innocent. It’s good for you, too. What do you say?”

  “Just what I need.” Baro grinned, revealing sharp canine teeth. A shadow slowly surfaced behind him.

  It was a huge and hideous black organ. The six-layered keyboard was engraved with countless beastly claw marks. The flowing notes transformed into different music theories, performing the war between a great beast and dragon. This was the wuthering sound, the trademark instrument of the School of Dragon Rock.

  Baro’s eyes were crimson. They had absorbed the beastly nature and seemed to burn. He had entered the phase of deep resonance. “You’ll regret it, Ye Qingxuan,” he uttered, emphasizing each word. “I’ll tear you to shreds.”

  “Then you must hurry.” Ye Qingxuan smiled and closed his pocket watch. “We still have the time to play a few rounds before the dinner. I hope I can convince you.”

  -

  Late at night, there was only the sounds of heavy breathing could be heard in the silent hall. Before the already cold dinner, the musicians were silent. Only Baro was staring at the lamp before him with a pale face drenched with sweat.

  “Shall we eat first?” Sam sighed. “The dinner’s getting cold and we have to pay to heat it again. How much longer did Baro want to hold on for? He did not mind eating cold food, but he did mind spending money. It had cost a lot to get the best table here too. If this was in the past, he would not care about it, but he had just wasted a lot of money for the rain in Oz. Now his wallet was empty. If Ye Qingxuan had not said that he would treat them, Sam would have stolen food from Miller.

  “It won’t be long before Baro runs out of strength.” Miller stretched out his hand to hold Baro’s wrist and shook his head with a sigh. “I hope Ye Qingxuan can persuade him. Is the School of Summoning filled with stubborn guys like him? Researching beasts really messed with their heads.”

  “At least the School of Dragon Rock is so. My teacher told me that if I met a psychopath from there, I should just beat them up. Otherwise, it’s not possible to talk.”

  “Your teacher tells you to beat them up no matter what school they’re from!”

  The two reached a stalemate for a long time. Finally, they decided to eat first. Ye Qingxuan reached out to pinch out the light on the
table and the light dimmed.

  Baro shook and almost slipped from his chair. He was sweating like a pig and panted heavily. He gasped as if he had broken free of asphyxiation under the sea. His lips faintly flushed with purple, his fingers trembled, and sweat fell from his hair to his collar.

  Miller stretched out his hand to check but was refused by his waving.

  “I surrender.” Gasping for breath, he looked up at Ye Qingxuan. He was not content but he still squeezed from his teeth, “I’ll listen to you in the relic.”

  Ye Qingxuan laughed. “Then, let’s cooperate well.”

  335 Just Watch

  It was silent at night. A shadow stood amongst the clouds and wordlessly gazed at the city below him. Holding a notebook and a feather quill, he recorded silently. Endless stars were reflected in his Starry Eyes. Behind him, a silhouette emerged from the condensation. “Grandmaster Koch, how is everything?”

  “As usual.” Koch ripped out a piece of paper for the man. “A total of nineteen musicians have gone against the Sacred City’s order and involved the locals during their personal fights.”

  “There are many kids who think too highly of themselves.” The shadow in the clouds glanced at the notes and nodded. “They want to fool around when the Silent Authority’s here? They’ll have to pay for not following the rules.”

  Grandmaster Koch continued to look down. He finally stopped recording when the midnight bell rang out. His records were filled with various names.

  Ye Qingxuan was the last participant to arrive before the deadline of midnight last night. Now, there were one-hundred and sixty participating musicians in Auschwitz. The group’s average age was not even thirty, but there were more than twenty musicians above the Resonance level. The others had delved deep into music theory years ago. They were the elites of their academies and the stars of their schools…Torre Hauser, Sam, Casper Hauser, Colt Flagg, Ye Qingxuan, Baro, Arianna, Rebecca…

  Grandmaster Koch gazed at the lines of names under the moonlight. Perhaps the new king of musicians would be born from this list. They were destined to shine.