Chapter 64
—
Test Day.
A grand piano was installed at the center of the classroom stage.
This time, Victor and I would evaluate together.
The scores from both of us would be combined to select the final successful candidates.
Students began gathering in the classroom.
“Let’s begin. First…”
I called the first candidate.
They had been randomly selected.
One person stepped forward and sat at the piano.
Then the next.
And the next.
It was evident that their diligent foundational training had paid off.
Everyone had improved significantly compared to before.
Of course, there were occasional mistakes, but even those mistakes were part of their growth.
Some students boldly chose difficult pieces to showcase their unique style.
Others opted for more stable pieces, presenting highly refined performances.
Victor and I paid close attention to every movement and sound they produced.
Skill proficiency, expressiveness,
and emotional delivery.
The test, which began in the morning, continued well past the afternoon.
***
In the break room, we began our discussion.
Victor handed me his score sheet.
“About seven stood out to me,” he said.
Seven?
That seemed too few.
It looked like his standards were stricter than mine.
Well, everyone has their criteria, so I had no intention of debating it.
After all, it was Victor’s opinion.
“I have fifteen,” I replied.
“Let’s check if there are overlapping names.”
It turned out to be a good idea to confirm.
Believe it or not, all of them overlapped.
We handed the list to Erdi.
“These are the students you’ll be teaching from now on.”
“That many?”
“Well, isn’t it better that the number increased from three to fifteen?”
“That’s true.”
Naturally, this included Azbella and the Wendelin siblings.
At any rate.
There were no classes scheduled for tomorrow morning.
Considering everyone would be exhausted from today’s test, we decided to let them rest.
However, the advanced class would proceed with its orientation as scheduled.
Since I had some free time, I thought about observing Erdi’s lecture with Victor.
***
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Erdi Villette, and I’ll be guiding you in the advanced class.”
Applause erupted.
The lively atmosphere was delightful to see.
“Since today is the first day, we have two professors visiting as a gesture of congratulations.”
Erdi introduced us, who were seated at the back.
“Oh, uh, yes.”
Awkwardly, I stood up and gave a slight bow.
“Well then, let’s assess everyone’s skills. Please come forward one by one and perform.”
Erdi climbed onto the stage and pointed to the grand piano.
Of course, he wasn’t present during yesterday’s test.
“Show us the best of your abilities. Don’t be nervous—just relax.”
By the way, when did Erdi start talking so much?
Previously, I was a little worried because he seemed overly reserved.
“Let’s start with Miss Viviant.”
He called out her name.
Starting with the final boss?
Azbella appeared.
With a confident demeanor, she sat down and lifted her arms without hesitation.
Melody burst forth immediately.
“Oh-ho.”
“…Impressive.”
Victor and I both gasped at the same time.
Her already remarkable talent, combined with solid foundational skills, made her performance so professional it was hard to believe she was a student.
She struck the keys fiercely until the very end, letting her emotions explode.
The students in the classroom were left breathless by her performance.
I met Victor’s gaze.
“Her skills are incredible, no matter how many times I hear her. It’s a hundred times clearer now why you praised her so highly.”
I nodded silently in agreement.
She was that overwhelming.
Rising from her seat, Azbella descended the stage.
“Next up is…”
Coincidentally.
“Dirk Wendelin.”
Erdi uttered the name.
Dirk strode out, casually loosening his uniform.
Behind him, Beatrice glanced nervously, but it seemed he didn’t notice.
With a relaxed expression, Dirk stood before Erdi.
“Please go easy on me, Professor.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Curiosity shone in Erdi’s eyes.
Victor and I felt the same.
We fixed our gaze on the stage.
With a mix of anticipation and concern, we watched to see what kind of performance would emerge from his fingertips.
At first, the melody sounded somewhat unstable.
But as time went on, it became more and more stable.
Unlike Azbella, Dirk’s style was quite improvisational.
He expressed his emotions based on how he felt in the moment.
Though the sound was somewhat rough, it was undeniably captivating.
It was certainly engaging.
His technique of suddenly altering the tempo midway to capture the listener’s attention was impressive, even from my perspective.
It became clear why he had been so self-centered.
Victor and I carefully observed Dirk’s performance, which we hadn’t heard in a long time.
It felt like he prioritized emotional flow over technical perfection.
It was quite a decent performance.
However.
There was a significant issue.
“There’s a certain captivating power to it, but…”
“…Hmm.”
Victor whispered to me.
“Maybe it’s because I heard it right after Viviant, but I can’t help but notice the flaws.”
Indeed.
The basics were weak.
No matter how impressive a performance may be, if the fundamentals are lacking, it will inevitably falter.
Throughout the performance, there were several moments where the pitch slightly wavered—a clear sign of poor fundamentals.
Whenever he attempted rapid passages, his fingers moved unsteadily, almost slipping.
Each time, the immersion was completely shattered.
This wasn’t a mistake.
It was his skill.
If he had paid proper attention in the basic classes, none of this would have happened.
Victor frowned.
At least once or twice, I caught him shaking his head in disappointment.
What Dirk displayed was undoubtedly his unique personality, but with such a poor grasp of basic techniques, we couldn’t overlook the issues.
It was the result of running straight ahead without ever looking back.
Considering he skipped an entire month of classes, it’s not surprising.
The reason Viviant’s performance was so perfect was that there were no gaps in her technical foundation.
The moment Dirk’s hands left the keys, the classroom fell into a brief silence.
Everyone seemed stunned by the peculiar performance.
Well, that was expected.
The comparison was inevitable, especially since Viviant performed right before him.
What Dirk lacked was visible.
There was no sense of a performer trying to convey emotions to the audience.
It was merely the gesture of an immature man engrossed in the piano and himself.
A sandcastle on the verge of collapse.
If I had to describe it, that’s what his performance felt like.
It looked impressive on the surface, but it would crumble helplessly with even the slightest flaw.
It felt unstable and nerve-wracking.
In other words, it lacked stability.
There’s a reason curricula exist.
Basics are the foundation.
And the academy’s classes so far have been about teaching how to lay that foundation.
Now, everyone understands that.
Everyone except one person.
Dirk.
What he was doing during class hours, we didn’t know.
But it definitely wasn’t practicing the basics.
“By exaggerating tonal expressions with emotion, it certainly draws you in. But with repeated mistakes, anticipation turns into anxiety.”
“Exactly. It feels like he’s regressed compared to a month ago.”
“There are too many gaps.”
“Do you think he can keep up with the other cadets?”
“If he can, it would be great.”
“It won’t be easy. In the past, maybe. But now, he doesn’t feel particularly outstanding.”
Victor and I exchanged such thoughts.
There was no ill will.
I would criticize his attitude, but I had no intention of undermining the performance itself.
That is, if he improved from where he was now.
If he truly turned over a new leaf and fully integrated into the academy, I wouldn’t hold any grudges.
But could he?
That remains to be seen.
***
After that, the cadets came up one by one to perform their music.
Erdi applauded with a satisfied expression.
“Hold on.”
Then, without hesitation, he sat down in front of the piano.
Could it be…?
“I should give you all something in return, right?”
As expected.
The melodies poured out like a torrential rain onto the keys.
Mily Balakirev’s Islamey.
One of the most challenging and dazzling pieces in the history of piano music.
Its frantic tempo and intricate passages make it a definitive technical challenge for any performer.
Even Franz Liszt himself praised it.
Sure enough.
The cadets were so captivated by Erdi’s movements that their jaws gradually dropped.
It was visible even from behind.
“I can’t believe Professor Erdi composed a piece like that.”
Victor muttered to himself in surprise.
“Well, actually, I composed it.”
“Ah! As expected!”
I didn’t know whether to feel proud or disheartened.
Anyway.
With Erdi’s unexpected performance, the classroom atmosphere heated up in an instant.
“T-This is the professor’s…”
“Wow…”
Everyone was briefly amazed, trying to gauge the gap between themselves and him.
Soon after, Erdi struck the final note with a powerful flourish and rose from his seat.
The beads of sweat on his forehead suggested it had taken significant effort.
This is the level the academy’s cadets must aim for someday.
Quite the intimidating “greeting.”
While the positive energy was still flowing through the room, Erdi spoke in a calm voice, trying to cool down his excitement.
“I’m glad everyone enjoyed it. Before we begin formal lessons tomorrow, I have an announcement to make.”
All eyes turned to him.
“From now on, you will take weekly performance exams here. The evaluation will be absolute.”
“…What?”
One of the cadets raised their hand, unable to grasp his meaning.
“Performance exams, you say?”
“Yes.”
At an academy, exams are a given.
After all, this is still a school.
“But once a week seems excessive.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t assign overly difficult themes.”
And one more thing.
“For the first exam next week, the cadet with the highest score will receive a fitting reward.”
“A reward, you say…”
“The position of advanced class representative.”
“Ooh!”
Honestly, it doesn’t seem like that big of a reward.
But judging by their fiery enthusiasm, they seem plenty satisfied with it.
After all, being a representative in the academy carries significant prestige.
Erdi continued speaking.
“However, cadets who score below the standard will…”
I involuntarily swallowed.
“…be judged as lacking class comprehension and will be immediately dismissed from the advanced class.”
—
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