Squirrel Street. Inside an unremarkable tavern.
“Server, bring over another jug of ale!”
“Right away!”
Working in the tavern, Holme immediately ran over to the shouting customer with two jugs of ale.
He was overwhelmingly busy tonight. He had worked in this little tavern for three years now yet has never once encountered a situation like tonight where all the seats were packed full.
Only late into the night when the dwarves would lay down their pickaxes to go to the human city and have a merry time with alcohol would this little tavern have a small amount of business.
Nevertheless, Holme swears that the number of customers tonight was simply the greatest amount in the history of the tavern. It was over two three times the normal capacity.
It was like the low quality ales served in the tavern were being sold by the barrel!
“Kid, you can go back! That little girl is crying again! Someone’s going to stand in for you!”
The tavern’s new owner shouted to Holme.
Only then was Holme able to take a breather. He ran behind the counter and immediately heard the cries of that infant girl.
Holme picked up the infant girl wrapped in rags and attempted to ladle and feed her. But, the infant girl was not interested in the milk. She was still bawling nonstop.
Without much experience in taking care of infants, Holme was completely drained by the cries. But, right at this moment, a sudden calm and peaceful singing sounded in the tavern.
Like a lullaby, the song comforted the crowd’s restlessness. Even the noisy tavern quieted down.
After hearing the song, the infant girl Holme was cradling gradually stopped crying.
Who... sung that?
Holding the infant girl, Holme walked out from the rear. He arrived at the center of the shabby and messy tavern. He discovered that the singing voice came from a wall...
To be exact, it came from the image on the wall. In the tavern’s main hall was a wall painted white. A Frost Elf was playing an unknown instrument and gently singing.
Since the arrival of that wealthy individual from several days back, the entire tavern changed.
The former owner of the tavern, that old lady with a malicious mouth, disappeared somewhere with the vast sum of gold coins she received. In her replacement was a well-tempered and honest middle-aged man.
Furthermore, since yesterday, the number of customers in the tavern suddenly increased. Even now, Holme was unable to understand what caused this sudden increase in popularity. Was it so that they could drink those low quality ales?
No, that’s impossible. After all, the answer was right in front of him.
“To be able to hear Miss Tylene’s singing at night, I will definitely be able to have a pleasant dream later,” whispered a customer.
Holme noticed that the man who spoke was dressed very extravagantly. He does not resemble a drunkard who would appear in a lousy tavern like this.
The other customers were of similar disposition. They didn’t come to this tavern because it was a tavern. They came to this tavern because they will be able to see the ‘projection’ wall.
Holme looked at the Frost Elf on the wall. Just by sitting there, she was able to gain countless admirers willing to go out of their way to listen to her singing...
“Feeling envious?”
The new tavern owner’s voice suddenly sounded next to Holme.
“Envious...” Holme shook his head, “She’s a remarkable person. I’m not foolish enough to compare myself with someone like her.”
“Remarkable person?”
The new tavern owner reacted like he had heard something amusing.
“Kid, let me tell you this in secret. I was an attendant in Farucci’s Mansion. You know, the one managed by the Grand Duchess of Blackwood.”
“I... have not been to the center of Norland before,” Holme replied after a moment of hesitation.
“That’s fine, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know about it,” The tavern owner pointed to the Frost Elf humming an unknown song, “Her name is Tylene. Back then, she was part of the Black Swan Theatrical Troupe and not popular at all. Not many people in the Farucci’s Mansion even knew of her name, much less the City of Norland. But now, there’s such a vast group of people gathered here just to listen to her singing. I reckon that this is also something she never imagined before.”
“Then, why would there be so many....”
“I don’t know either,” After the tavern owner said those words, he left to call for the other servers to bring forth more alcohol for the customers.
Left standing there, Holme began to ponder. From his shabby clothes, he took out a folded paper. It was the pamphlet his friend Lionel gave him, a pamphlet about a competition called ‘World’s Singers.’
Holme went to the tavern owner and asked him to look after the infant girl. Then, taking into consideration that it was still not too late into the night, Holme ran toward Norland’s central district.
.........
By the time Holme arrived at Norland National Theater, it was approaching late night. Fortunately, the audition will continue till the second day.
The number of applicants at night was much fewer than in the morning.
Standing outside Norland National Theater, Holme started to panic.
Oh how luxurious of a building this was. Likely, a small piece of the masonry would cost more than his patch-covered clothes.
He knew very well ‘World’s Singers’ was a competition held by those grand and wealthy individuals. In other words, it was a ball held by those grand individuals!
Holme does not believe in what the pamphlet said, that ‘as long as one loves music, anyone will have the chance to perform before the public.’
Having lived in Squirrel Street for over a dozen years, Holme knew very well that those grand individuals going out in gorgeous carriages and having attendants follow them has never cared about the life and death of people like him.
Holme felt like this competition was nothing more than a plaything or a game for those grand individuals.
It was for the sake of allowing certain designated people to become famous that they would go out of their way to hold a competition for all of Norland.
The other competitors might be nothing more than dispensable stepping stones just to make this competition appear more scenic.
Although that was what Holme thought, he still felt the urge to give it a try...
With uncertainty, he entered the extravagant building. The originium crystals engraved with illumination runes started shining dazzlingly.
This was a scene that cannot be seen in Squirrel Street. At night, Squirrel Street would be enveloped by darkness. The sewer rats would be able to roam about openly.
Holme was one of those rats. To suddenly enter the light, Holme felt slightly uncomfortable.
His dirty clothes and sour-smelling stink caused the people nearby to distance themselves from him.
Even though the people nearby were also ordinary people from all around Norland, a bottom rung rat from Squirrel Street still didn’t fit them.
Being stared at with disgust and hearing comments like ‘why would a beggar come to this theater,’ Holme walked over to the sign up counter.
When the attendant saw Holme’s filthy appearance, he also frowned. Nevertheless, the attendant acted very professionally and smiled at Holme.
“I... want to sign up,” said the little sewer rat hesitantly.