Translator: Yang_Wenli
“Holme! Is it really you?!”
The young man following Sir Weissenasche walked over to Holme carrying the infant girl.
Holme raised his head and looked up with his red and swollen eye to look at the man who called out to him. The moment he associated the man before him with the friend in his memories, he cried out in surprise, “Lionel!”
“Lionel... you... why are you dressed like that?”
Holme recognized the man standing before him was his old partner. They were both at the bottom tier of the Black Dove hierarchy. They would frequently move along Norland’s underground city and the alleys.
“When I returned, I saw the Beauty Gutama being arrested by Norland’s law enforcers. As for you and your younger sister, the two of you seemed to have disappeared from that world! But now, you’re...”
As Holme looked at his friend, he found himself at a loss for words. Holme was still wearing patched old clothes whereas Lionel was wearing brand new formal attires. Merely from the materials his clothes were made out of, Holme cannot imagine that he could possibly afford those clothes in his entire life.
Several months back, Holme’s friend was still traveling through Norland’s sewers with him. The two of them would be completely covered in filth and grime everyday. But now, Lionel looked like the son of a noble.
“A kind artist decided to take me in as an apprentice to learn stage performances from him,” Lionel glanced at Sir Weissenasche. Sir Weissenasche was focused on discussing with the tavern owner the sale of the tavern.
“Damn boy, you’re truly lucky. Didn’t I tell you that you only need to rely on that face of yours to make a living?”
Holme sighed in envy. Someone like him, someone who lived at the bottom tier of Norland, everyday life was extremely difficult. People like Lionel, people who were taken in by Norland’s nobles and merchants because of their appearance were extremely fortunate.
Moreover, Lionel was taken in to become an apprentice studying stage performances instead of a secret lover.
“Holme, what about you? Did you go down to that underground prison again?” Lionel pointed to the bruises on Holme’s face.
“Right. I became the champion. But, I was robbed of my award money by the orcs!”
Holme’s anger affected the infant girl in his hand, causing her to wail even louder.
“Holme... why don’t you join me in the Weissenasche Theater? I can think of a way to convince my teacher.”
Lionel knew the situation his friend was in. Not only was he impoverished, he also decided to take in an unknown infant girl. Lionel originally thought Holme was merely messing around. Never did he expect that Holme had not given up on that infant girl even after all this time.
“Those grand nobles wouldn’t fancy a filthy rat like me,” Holme mocked himself, “I don’t have that pretty face of yours.”
“But... you became the underground prison’s champion. While... I am not familiar with the rules of that underground prison, but... the competition there must have something to do with... singing, right?”
“I only spouted some useless trash. Those nobles wouldn’t be interested in my trash talks.”
Holme seemed to not want to burden his friend who now had a bright future ahead of him. He thought about patting Lionel’s shoulder to encourage him to seize this opportunity but soon discovered that his hand was filthy and immediately pulled back.
“But... I’ve heard Holme’s songs before. They’re great... Wait over here.”
Lionel seemed to recall something. He immediately ran out the tavern and soon returned with a piece of paper in his hand. He handed that paper to Holme.
It was a... pamphlet. An extremely exquisite pamphlet.
“World’s Singers?” Holme read the pamphlet and spoke in a confused manner.
“Right. The Voice of Norland is planning to host a program soon. The winner will be able to obtain rewards and appear before the audiences of the Voice of Norland.”
“The Voice of Norland...” Holme had heard about that broadcasting program before. But, he does not have any money to purchase something as expensive as the ‘magic network’s usage rights.’ He only knew about the Voice of Norland from the passersby on the street talking about it.
Voices that could be heard from all over Norland...
“I... will give it a try,” Holme was not certain if Norland’s residents would accept the music of the underground prison. But, he was not planning to let any opportunity to make money slip by him. The amount of money he makes in the tavern every month would not be enough to feed him, much less the infant.
“Also, Holme... I... wish to be able to purchase information from you,” Lionel took out two gold coins and pushed them into Holme’s hand. Regardless of what sort of information Holme might know, it couldn’t possibly be valued in gold coins.
Lionel was using this sort of method to aid his friend.
“Go ahead, ask away,” Holme grasped the gold coins. He did not refuse his friend’s aid.
“I’ve... lost my sister Riley. Ever since the arrest of the Beauty Gutama, I’ve not seen her. Do you know any information about her?”
“Your younger sister? I’ve heard a rumor that a young demon girl left with a bunch of elves. As for where they went, I have no idea.”
“Elves? I... think I got it...”
Before Lionel could thank Holme, Sir Weissenasche had finished his discussion with the tavern owner. In the end, the tavern owner decided to sell the tavern to Sir Weissenasche.
“Why would your teacher be purchasing this tavern?”
As Holme managed to rock the infant baby to sleep, he was whispering to his friend.
“I’ve heard from my teacher that... it’s to install ‘television sets.’”
Lionel didn’t know much about what’s going on himself. He came to Squirrel Street with Sir Weissenasche today for the sake of finding his younger sister.
“Television sets? What’s that? The name of a new arcanotech device or magic?”
Holme took a glance out the tavern’s door. Apart from the arcanotech vehicle, there was no other giant arcanotech device to be seen outside.
“Regardless, Holme, I will talk with my teacher to let you continue working here. If I’m not mistaken, this tavern’s business will soon improve.”
After leaving those words, Lionel rushed back to Sir Weissenasche. The old lady beside Sir Weissenasche had taken out a contract and was discussing something.
Holding the infant girl in one hand, Holme began to read the pamphlet of the ‘World’s Singers’ in his other hand. His line of sight landed on the words ‘All citizens of Norland, regardless of birth, are allowed to participate in this competition.’
He doesn’t know if those uncivilized-sounding words would be able to be accepted by Norland’s residents. But, it seemed like that was the only path open to him now.
“Don’t worry... we’ll soon be able to fill up our stomach,” Holme whispered to the sleeping infant girl.