Clear Skies, Please

Tomorrow was finally the day of the concert.

Azu and the others held only a rehearsal in the practice room, with practice itself called off for the day.

He'd listened to all the pieces they planned to perform, and the quality was remarkable. Hard to believe that half of them had been complete beginners just a month ago.

Azu and Orleans still made small mistakes here and there, but they recovered without losing composure, which showed real growth.

Before, a single mistake would have frozen their hands entirely.

According to Chancellor Anatia, the reason for the day off from practice was that pushing too hard right before the performance could throw off their rhythm on the day itself.

Since they'd practiced so much already, as long as the run-through went well, resting and settling their nerves was the best approach.

The Royal Capital was buzzing with talk of tomorrow's concert.

He hadn't expected this much of a reaction from just letting a few rumors slip.

People were probably hungry for entertainment and a way to relieve stress.

There was also a strong desire to catch a glimpse of Princess Yupe and Chancellor Anatia, both famous for their beauty.

Princess Yupe's popularity in particular was extraordinary.

Everyone was looking forward to it.

Personality aside, her looks were every man's ideal.

If they'd made it a ticketed event, it would've been a mess. Making it open to anyone by holding it in the central plaza had been the right call.

Even though the event was tomorrow, the central plaza was already a scene of revelry, with crowds gathering and enjoying themselves.

Some people were already staking out spots.

"Is that the venue over there? It's quite spacious."

Azu pointed at the stage.

It had been built large enough to fit all six of them along with their instruments.

Security would be posted around it on the day of.

"We'll be the center of attention from every direction. There seem to be more people than I expected. With such a clear view, we could be targeted from anywhere."

"I can handle that easily enough. Honestly, it's not like we're a spectacle… wait, I guess we are. I'd rather not be in the spotlight, though."

"Attention is a good thing, isn't it? Women shine when they're being watched."

"Is that really the issue here?"

They chattered about this and that, clearly conscious of the fact that they'd be performing up there tomorrow.

Everyone's spirits seemed a little elevated.

As they walked, they came across a candy stall.

It was selling fruit coated and hardened in sugar glaze.

Sweets are good when you're tired, so he ordered enough for everyone.

Candied fruit in hand, they headed back to their house in Kassad.

Since they'd left their instruments behind today, everyone was empty-handed.

"Time feels like it's passing so slowly. It's a strange feeling. The next time we play, it'll be for real, won't it? Will I be able to do it properly tomorrow?"

"Even if you mess up, so what? They put amateurs in charge, so nobody's going to be too fussed about it."

Azu was still fidgeting restlessly even after sitting down on the sofa.

Finding that endearing, Elza hugged her and rubbed her back.

Finn had apparently decided she'd be fine whether it went well or not, and was lounging comfortably.

Orleans seemed to be running through the music in her head, her fingers moving on their own.

Alexia watched everyone while savoring her candy.

Seeing them like this, he couldn't help but hope it would go well.

The next day.

The weather in Kassad was poor.

Gray clouds blanketed the sky, making it dim despite being morning.

It wasn't raining yet, but it looked like it could start at any moment.

For an outdoor event, rain would be a serious problem.

Azu and the performers could manage with magic, but there was nothing to be done for the audience.

Accidents would increase too, and if the rain got bad enough, cancellation would have to be considered.

He encouraged Azu, whose face had gone anxious at the weather, and headed for the castle.

From here, they'd split up.

Azu and the others would change into their dresses, move to the stage at the venue, and run checks on the instruments.

Princess Yupe had been told the start time and would meet them on-site when it began.

Ideally she would have been here by now, but since this wasn't official business, he couldn't press the issue.

Chancellor Anatia had said she'd drag her there by force if it came to it, so he'd leave that to her.

"She's surprisingly unlucky with weather, you know. Anatia-nee-san."

"Is that so? She doesn't really give off that impression."

"Not usually. But when it really counts, it rains. She's a bit ill-fated, I guess. Even now, she didn't have to become chancellor, but here she is."

He chatted with the queen in Queen Tianis's office.

He'd finished all the work ahead of schedule in preparation for today.

The plan was to move to a hotel near the central plaza at the same time Azu and the others headed to the venue.

The hotel had been reserved entirely for security purposes, and they'd watch the concert together from a room with a perfect view.

A knock came at the door. He opened it to find Chancellor Anatia and the others, changed and ready.

Azu and the others were wearing the dresses that had been tailored for them earlier.

He was truly glad he'd prepared them in advance.

And Chancellor Anatia's pale pink dress suited her beautifully.

"Yohane-san, what do you think? Does it suit me?"

"Of course. Everyone looks beautiful all dressed up."

"Thank you. If only the weather had cooperated, it would have been perfect."

Chancellor Anatia looked up at the sky.

A light rain had begun to fall.

It felt like it would only get worse.

"Should we consider canceling?"

"No. Reserving the area repeatedly would only cause trouble. We can project the sound over a wide area with magic, so we'll just have to make do with that."

"The rain's going to drown it out, though."

Queen Tianis's words made the mood heavy.

The sound of rain beating against the ground grew louder.

"You want it to clear up?"

A woman entered through the open door.

The soldier who'd escorted her didn't seem to know where to look.

And for good reason.

The woman was wearing little more than a leotard-like garment beneath a sheer, semi-transparent wrap.

It was Evalin, the elf.

He'd sent her an invitation hoping to deepen their relationship, but he hadn't expected her to come without even replying.

"Welcome, Evalin-san. Thank you for coming."

"Well, you invited me."

She said it matter-of-factly, looking puzzled as to why he'd be surprised.

Was she more sociable than he'd thought?

He introduced her to Queen Tianis and Chancellor Anatia as an elf he'd met during the burning stone incident.

He introduced the two of them to Evalin as well, but the elf didn't seem to care much about human authority figures.

An awkward exchange of greetings followed.

This sort of thing was probably what had led to the rift between elves and humans…

"So, do you want it to clear up?"

"Yes. I was really hoping for clear skies today, but unfortunately it's turned to rain."

"I see."

Evalin moved to the window and pointed her staff at the sky.

At the same time, an immense surge of magical power gathered in the staff. Queen Tianis and Chancellor Anatia instinctively stepped back.

He understood the feeling. It was that much power.

"Clear skies, please."

That was the entire incantation.

Magic shot from the staff into the sky, and in an instant the clouds parted and drifted away from the Royal Capital.

Just like that, it was sunny.

"What a brute force approach…"

He didn't understand the underlying principle, but Alexia murmured that under her breath.

"Is that good?"

"Y-yes. Thank you very much."

Sunlight streamed over Evalin, backlighting her in a divine glow.