Chapter 33
Recording work began.
It wasn’t simple by any means.
The method itself was a challenge.
‘How am I supposed to add sound to each of these Jubel devices?’
This is not modern Earth.
I can’t just think about making a 48/24 WAV file and copying it easily.
‘If only that existed, it would have been much easier.’
I should contact the academy soon and ask them to develop some sort of sound duplication magic.
Not thinking of that earlier was my mistake.
“Let’s record 10 first, and then another 10.”
“…But that means you’ll have to play the same piece 50 times, young master.”
“Yes.”
There’s no other choice, is there?
It’s inefficient, but it’s the only way.
It’s impossible to operate all 500 Jubel devices at once.
And it’s even more impossible to handle them one by one.
It’s not something a person can do.
Recording them in batches of ten was the best approach.
This method already reduced the workload significantly.
“We’re ready!”
Erdi and Edward pressed the buttons on the Jubel devices almost simultaneously.
I began playing in sync with their timing.
The Carousel of Fate.
A soundtrack from a modern animation masterpiece, Howl’s Moving Castle.
Its quality is comparable to some classical pieces.
A lyrical melody wraps around the entire composition.
The melody gradually quickens, like a carousel spinning.
It recreates scenes of life, moment by moment, capturing the listener’s attention.
To express the absurd concept of life through music is by no means an easy task.
However, this piece accomplishes that.
A lifetime happens only once.
Life is a repetition of moments, where we gather countless fragments of emotions in every fleeting instant.
The performance gently moved towards its conclusion, as if offering a warm solace to that brilliant and sacred destiny.
The ending was marked by a fermata.
T/n: A fermata is a musical symbol that indicates a note, rest, or a specific chord should be held or sustained longer than its usual duration.
The notes lingered, leaving a deep impression.
Finished.
Edward and Erdi pressed the buttons on the Jubel devices again.
“…Did it record well?”
I was quite exhausted.
Maybe I put too much effort into the first piece.
We gathered around the piano to check the recording.
“It’s truly amazing. When you close your eyes, it feels as if the performer is right in front of you.”
“Indeed.”
It was a curious experience.
It was far clearer than when I first heard the recording of Cadiz as a test at the academy.
How could this be?
It felt like a 3D surround sound speaker from a movie theatre was right in front of me.
Does the magic of this world truly surpass the level of modern science?
Well, in any case, it means that the sound quality was that good.
I sat down at the piano again.
It was too soon to be satisfied.
We hadn’t even finished half of the recordings yet.
‘What do I mean by half?’
So far, we’d only managed to complete 10 out of 500.
I immediately moved on to the next recording, and then the next.
“Whew… How many are left?”
“Four hundred left.”
Are you serious?
I’ve never done this even in practice sessions.
To think I’d have to play the same piece 50 times.
‘Should I just sell a hundred?’
I almost gave in to that voice from somewhere.
“If you’re tired, should we stop here for today?”
Edward suggested.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
I couldn’t go on any longer.
Disbanded.
And that evening.
While holed up in my room and pondering repeatedly, I came up with an incredible idea.
***
“We’ll record different pieces for the remaining 400.”
“Pardon?”
Howl’s Moving Castle, the movie where The Carousel of Fate appears, is a work of a famous international animation studio.
Even just naming a few of their memorable films, I could easily list five.
My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya…
And Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo on the Cliff too.
Not to mention the soundtracks.
They’re so well-known that it’s hard to forget them.
“I’ll record one piece for every 100 Jubel devices, making a total of five different tracks.”
This might make the repetitive playing a bit less tedious.
“So, you’re keeping the same quantity but increasing the variety! That’s great.”
Edward agreed.
“I think it’s a good idea too.”
Erdi concurred as well.
But my proposal didn’t end there.
“And we’ll sell them randomly.”
“…Randomly, you say?”
“We won’t reveal the track title until after the purchase.”
A probability draw.
Commonly known as Gacha.
Imagine a machine where you insert a coin and draw a random toy.
The thrill lies in not knowing what you’ll get.
Moreover.
“Edward.”
“Yes?”
“This is going to make us money. We’ve had quite a few expenses recently, haven’t we?”
The piano purchase, the Jubel devices…
Even a capitalist would struggle to absorb such losses easily.
“…Will it really be profitable? Well, since you say so, I’ll trust you, young master.”
“You’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
“Understood.”
Thus, a new plan was set, and we pushed forward with the remaining schedule.
***
“What is this?”
“Hey, Edward! Shouldn’t you explain what you’re selling!”
Early in the morning.
A large crowd gathered in front of the entrance to the Lunemoon Theatre in the capital, drawn by the rumour of a new souvenir release.
Most of them were nobles, but there were also quite a few commoners mixed in.
“This is a new product created by Sir Anton Tilburg, a performer of our theatre, in collaboration with Valcares Academy!”
Edward’s shout made the murmuring even louder.
“What!”
“The Academy?”
When it comes to the Imperial Academy, it’s a prestigious higher education institution that cultivates and produces talents.
The pinnacle of knowledge and culture.
An essential elite course for nobles!
“Is it true that they collaborated with the Academy?”
“There’s no way I can pass this up.”
A collaboration between the most famous performer in the capital and the Academy.
This single phrase ignited a fire in the hearts of the crowd.
“How much is it for each one!”
“They are twenty silver coins each! As a special launch offer, if you buy three, you get them for a total of fifty coins!”
Edward handed a Jubel to the man who raised his hand first.
He still didn’t know exactly what the product was.
“What on earth is this?”
“You just need to press the button.”
Edward gave a friendly explanation.
The man immediately pressed the button.
“What in the world!”
“Oh!”
At that moment.
The crowd in front of the theatre was struck with astonishment.
“Music! Music is playing!”
“How can this be…”
A new invention appeared.
Jubel.
The piano sound flowing from that small artifact brought the once noisy area in front of the theater to complete silence.
It didn’t take long for the silence to break.
“Hurry! Give me one too!”
“I’ll take three!”
But.
“What, what’s this? The music on mine is a bit different?”
It was true.
Some Jubels played lively music, while others played soft and gentle tunes.
“I like this piece better, could we perhaps trade?”
To calm the commotion, Edward raised his voice once more.
“One of five different pieces is included at random! You may or may not get the one you want!”
Just as he said, none of the Jubels had a title.
They all looked identical.
The lips of the nobles who had already paid trembled with frustration.
They had never imagined they would buy a product like this before.
A completely new method.
Luck.
If they were lucky, they could get the Jubel with the piece they wanted, but they might not.
Edward closed his eyes tightly.
They might criticize it as a sales tactic.
He had accepted the young master’s suggestion, but he still had his doubts.
‘What if they get upset and don’t buy it?’
As that worry slowly crept in.
“Then give me ten! One of them should have what I want!”
“Me too!”
It happened in an instant.
The pre-prepared stock of Jubels began to sell out before they could even keep up.
And simultaneously.
“Would you be willing to trade your Jubel with mine, Count?”
“Hm? That’s perfect! I also prefer the one you have.”
A warm scene unfolded where people exchanged their Jubels.
“How many would I need to buy to get all five kinds? Assuming I get one out of three…”
Some even began calculating the expected value of the random draw.
In any case, it was a great success.
‘I never thought it would sell this well.’
A sigh of relief escaped from Edward’s lips.
The time it took for the initial stock of Jubels to sell out.
Just ten minutes.
With a happy heart, he turned back after clearing away the empty boxes.
At that moment.
“Is there perhaps any stock left?”
He turned to find a familiar face.
Joel Valois.
The head of the capital orphanage, who had initially been invited to the theatre with the orphaned children.
His gaze fell upon the empty box Edward was holding.
“It seems I was a bit late.”
“I didn’t expect them to sell out so quickly either.”
“Haha. It’s my fault for being late in line.”
Despite his words, he couldn’t hide his disappointment.
“There’s no need to worry. I set aside one Jubel for you, Director.”
“Pardon?”
“It was at the young master’s request.”
Edward took out a small Jubel from his pocket and handed it to him.
For a moment, Joel stood there in a daze, wondering if it was a dream.
“Oh, dear! I’m sorry. I need to pay for this.”
In truth, Edward didn’t want to accept the money.
But refusing might seem disrespectful.
Reluctantly, he placed the twenty silver coins into his pocket.
“Aria will be so happy. I don’t know how to repay this kindness…”
“As long as you enjoy it, that’s enough. I’m sure the young master would say the same.”
“Thank you so much.”
Joel’s steps as he ran back were lighter than ever before.
Sometime later, at the orphanage.
“Aria!”
He called her name with a heart full of excitement.
—
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