Chapter 131: It's Common Sense, My Dear Second Lady
Avinoleum: Inverted Seminary.
This place was once a sacred site that recorded the glory of Rinascita, regarded as "the shattered reflection of Ragunna's glorious past."
However, Aeron couldn't be bothered to care about such things. Right now, he was only concerned with how to make full use of this entire illegally constructed building suspended upside down in the air—such as how to turn it into the stage for Ciaccona's first concert.
Thus, he once again ascended this inverted seminary, and he had brought quite a few people with him.
First was Phoebe, the presiding seat who had come representing the Order, ostensibly to provide endorsement but practically on vacation.
"Um... what is it, senior?"
Feeling Aeron's gaze upon her, this golden fluffball seemed somewhat flustered.
"Nothing, just sighing with emotion."
Who could have imagined that just over a month ago, she was merely a priestess following behind Aeron, and now she had already achieved the feat of speedrunning the Order of the Deep. Truly remarkable.
Next was Roccia, whom Aeron had invited specifically to handle stage design.
At this moment, she was quietly following behind Aeron, one hand dragging her treasure chest, the other gently tugging at Aeron's sleeve.
"Roccia, are you alright? After all, this place was once tainted by the Dark Tide. If you feel any discomfort, you must tell me."
"Mhm, I'm fine. Besides, I'm happy to be by Mr. Aeron's side."
Ah, how could this little cutie be so endearing? The more I look, the more pleasing she becomes.
"Pero." (Translation: Direct shock or follow procedure?)
Ignoring Pero's slight dissatisfaction, Aeron reached out and patted Roccia's head, replenishing some essential human energy.
If given the chance, he would make sure all of Solaris witnessed Roccia's charm!
Thump.
Just as Aeron had begun mentally planning how to apply Ciaccona's experience to Roccia, a sudden knock landed on the crown of his head.
"Ow, that hurts."
"You asked for it."
A massive shadow blocked Aeron's vision, followed by a familiar tone from a long-unseen face.
"So it's this form this time... Should I start calling you Fleurdelys?"
"It doesn't matter. It's just a title. She and I are one and the same. Besides, in Avinoleum, this form is more suitable for channeling power."
"I thought you grew bigger just to hit me."
"That might be part of the reason too."
"Hey."
In response to Aeron's reaction, Fleurdelys smiled, a cheerful expression appearing on her exquisite face.
Well, no matter how the appearance changes, the essence remains the same person.
And it seemed Fleurdelys was quite happy too. Previously, whenever he saw her, she always had a cold, aloof expression. Seeing her smile made this trip worthwhile.
In any case, after a series of preparations, it was finally time to prepare for the first offline performance.
To make Ciaccona's first concert truly breathtaking, to distinguish it from Carnevale, and to allow this seminary floating in the air to regain its value, Aeron brought these two small ones and one large one to the heights of Avinoleum.
Oh, right. Besides those three, Aeron had brought along another expert.
"Second Young Lady, what's wrong? Frowning all the time will make you look older, you know."
"N-nothing, really. This is my first time stepping into Avinoleum. So this is what the Avinoleum looks like—it's really beautiful, hahaha..."
Wooden delivery, purely wooden delivery.
But by now, Aeron could more or less guess what Carlotta was thinking.
"Mmm... (I'm doomed, I'm doomed. I should've never agreed to this guy's reckless ideas. How much is it going to cost to renovate such a huge venue?!)"
Watching Carlotta almost clutching her head in agony, Aeron felt no emotional turmoil.
Not to mention that every penny he had squeezed from her was spent wisely, seeing her so conflicted was worth it in itself.
But well, she was the boss after all. He still had to coax her a little.
"If something's on your mind, just say it. Bottling things up can lead to psychological issues."
Reminded by Aeron, Carlotta realized she had lost her composure. She coughed twice to adjust her demeanor.
"So—you plan to use this place as the venue for Ciaccona's concert?"
"Yep."
"Why do you think the first performance will attract so many people?"
"No worries, I have plenty of ways to handle that. You just need to provide the funds."
"Getting straight to the point a bit too quickly, aren't you?!"
Although Carlotta had expected this, the extent of his recklessness still somewhat exceeded her imagination.
No matter what he said, she absolutely could not agree to it this time!
"Well... I was just thinking, maybe there's a more suitable place at this stage? Like Mistsoft Waterscape? Isn't there an Echo there that was granted consciousness by the Sentinel?"
"But I wanted to turn that into a super-large SPA resort, you know."
"...?"
"To be honest, don't you think Loretta and her Cloud Sea Fairies are really suited for that kind of thing?"
"Could you please shut up before I get angry~"
"My bad."
Aeron's speed of kneeling in apology was always top-tier in Ragunna, but it would be nice if his attitude could be a bit more sincere.
That expression on his face—"I'm sorry, but I'll do it again next time"—every time he wore that look, it meant someone was about to suffer.
"So," Carlotta took a deep breath, crossed her arms, and tried to look like a shrewd businesswoman rather than a gullible fool who had been tricked into a fait accompli.
"Whatever excuse you have, just say it. I want to see what tricks you can pull off this time."
"That's a bit too harsh..."
Instead of answering directly, Aeron led Carlotta to the edge of Avinoleum, overlooking the shrunken Ragunna City below. The morning light pierced through the floating rubble and clouds, illuminating this once-glorious Avinoleum.
"There's not much to say, really. It's all the same old talk."
"Then why do you think I'd agree?"
"Because I believe Carlotta Montelli is a smart person."
Aeron said Carlotta's name without hesitation and continued:
"That's all."
"You've seen what Ragunna is like now. The Order no longer holds its former influence, and while the King's arrival has won over the people, there remains a gap that has yet to be filled."
"...So what are you implying?"
"It's already a problem that these people have been so engrossed in spreading those baseless rumors about me for so long."
Aeron truly hadn't expected the "public opinion risk" surrounding him to fester for this long—and to grow increasingly absurd. They were even claiming he hosted daily orgies in the mansion. If this continued, Aeron would truly become the laughingstock of Rinascita.
But looking beyond the surface, the fact that such an insignificant matter could be discussed for so long indicated one thing.
"These people have too much free time and need more overtime work?"
"Even though I know you're a capitalist, Second Young Lady, you can't be that much of a capitalist."
Although Carlotta had a point, Aeron still needed to steer the conversation in his direction.
"Now, without the constraints of the Order, artistic creation has indeed become much freer. But for most people, it's more about confusion."
"..."
Hearing these words, Carlotta lowered her head thoughtfully.
As Aeron had said, since Rover ascended as King, all of Ragunna had indeed been moving in a better direction.
Although newly opened spaces would quickly be filled, deep down, people's hearts struggled to accept such changes in such a short time.
And with the help of the Black Shores, facing even more new phenomena, the emptiness within would only grow. With the spread of Personal Terminals, this situation would likely become increasingly widespread.
But Aeron didn't care about any of that. He only cared about one thing.
"As terminals become more widespread, more and more people in Ragunna will be exposed to external influences. This impact is unavoidable."
"Mhm, so what does this have to do with you turning this place into Ciaccona's stage?"
"Everything, of course."
Since the impact was unavoidable, why not turn it to their advantage?
Before people could even form an understanding or deconstruct these concepts, presenting something of their own—something no less impressive than what others had—could guide this impact in a direction favorable to them.
And Ragunna was precisely such fertile ground now.
The Order's rule had been overthrown, and the Threnodian that threatened Rinascita had been defeated. Two such monumental events occurring within just two days left everyone with a surreal, dreamlike sensation.
"So, what we need to do is prolong this dream. Even if it's just an illusion, we must find a way to make it even more fantastical."
"...So what you're saying is, you want Montelli to proactively seize the 'entertainment' sector and secure resources before this area solidifies."
"That's exactly it. While the pie hasn't been fully divided yet, we should use money to grab resources. The returns in the future will only increase, not decrease."
Carlotta understood what Aeron meant. She admitted there was some truth to what he said.
However, this matter wasn't so simple to resolve.
"Avinoleum, after all, was once the Order's most valued theological academy. This isn't something Montelli alone can handle."
"That's exactly why I brought my dear junior along."
Aeron said, pulling Phoebe over from somewhere.
"Senior?"
After Aeron explained the situation to Phoebe, the respected Seat Master immediately responded.
"If it's for Senior, I can do it!"
"No, no, something this serious can't be decided so easily, right..."
Although Carlotta knew Phoebe respected Aeron greatly, she still felt such a serious matter shouldn't be taken lightly.
"It's alright, Miss Carlotta."
To Carlotta's surprise, Phoebe's response was firmer than expected.
"Everyone in the Order acts to praise the Sentinels and help the people of Rinascita. Even if that goodwill was exploited in the past, the intention itself wasn't wrong."
Saying this, Phoebe turned her head. Following her gaze, Carlotta and Aeron looked toward Roccia, who was chatting with a gentle expression.
Only when her eyes swept over the sight of Avinoleum did a hint of complex emotion occasionally surface.
But regardless of that emotion, what remained in the end was a sense of relief.
"I... if I could see this place filled to capacity again... then... whether it's the Blessed Maiden or the previous Seat Master... everyone would be happy, right!"
After hearing Phoebe's words, Carlotta was momentarily stunned.
The golden-haired girl's words weren't just out of attachment to Aeron, but also considerations from her current position as Seat Master.
"Hmm, my good junior has grown up."
Hearing Phoebe's answer, Aeron patted her head contentedly, then turned back to Carlotta.
"So, emotionally and logically, this is a worthwhile deal, right, Second Young Lady?"
Carlotta remained silent for a long time. She glanced at Roccia not far away, the peacefully smiling Phoebe, and the distant, silent Fleurdelys, before finally settling her gaze on the seemingly casual person before her, who understood everyone's thoughts and vulnerabilities all too clearly.
"...With that mouth of yours, you could talk the dead back to life."
"It's common sense, my dear Second Young Lady."
Ignoring Aeron's strange form of address, Carlotta sighed, lamenting how easily she was persuaded.
"I'm really defeated by you. I'll figure out the funding part, but... I'm going to add more to that 'indenture contract' you signed~"
"Uh... can I ask how exactly you plan to add to it?"
"Hehe, I'll have to think about that carefully."
Watching Carlotta leave and head toward Roccia and Fleurdelys in the distance, Aeron felt a sense of accomplishment for successfully persuading Carlotta twice.
Indeed, no matter what the matter, what's needed most at the start is an angel investor.
Just as Aeron was about to move, she suddenly felt her hand seized by an irresistible force, unable to budge an inch.
"That... Phoebe, it's time to get down to business now, isn't it?"
"It's alright, senior, I just... have a question I want to ask."
The force even intensified, pulling Aeron back with sheer strength.
"Th-that, time waits for no one, you know."
"No need to worry about that either~"
As soon as the words fell, the book in Phoebe's hand flew into the air, and then she tapped the ground with her staff. Everything instantly fell into a state of stagnation.
Cold sweat dripped down Aeron's back. Honestly, he was utterly panicked inside.
"Senior... didn't you say you would stay with me in the Order?"
Phoebe's voice still sounded as gentle as ever, but there was no warmth in her words.
"Then... can you tell me, what was that 'contract of servitude' Miss Carlotta mentioned just now?"
"...Little ancestor, have mercy on me, please."