Chapter 13: The Bird and the Cat

"You asked me to keep an eye out for good performance venues recently, and I found one," Pela said, taking a sip of black tea.

"It’s at the Goethe Hotel, not far from this street. It happens to be a day off, so there should be a lot of people."

Having once been part of a band called "Mechanical Mania" as the drummer, Pela wasn’t surprised that Venti was looking for a suitable performance venue. She also didn’t see fellow artists as rivals.

Leaving aside the differences in artistic expression, her resume listed her hobby as "Prehistoric Music Research of Belobog."

In terms of seniority, rock music was a relatively recent cultural phenomenon, far from being ready to grace the stage of the Golden Opera House.

At most, it was popular among young people, who were passionate and often felt unrecognized, making them more drawn to high-energy music.

However, the mainstream musical taste in Belobog still leaned more toward Venti’s style.

In fact, many had already seen the famous star, Miss Tamila, personally invite Venti to join the Golden Opera House.

The reason was that they urgently needed a "bard" like him who was someone well-versed in music theory.

This was an honor even the band’s leader, Seele, hadn’t received—unless she was willing to give up her electric guitar and switch to classical music.

But given her personality, the chances were infinitely less than 0.1%. After all, she was someone who who rejected tedious etiquette and rigid rules. Asking her to dress in an evening gown and act refined would be even more unrealistic, right?

After analyzing her band’s leader in her mind, Pela turned to Venti, who also seemed deep in thought.

Though she didn’t understand why he insisted on these low-paying guest performances, she knew he must have his reasons. She just needed to support him.

If she had to name a reason, it was probably their shared love for books!

Yes, that was it.

"Hmm... a day off, huh? That’s a good time. By the way, are you free that day?"

"Nope. We don’t have easy jobs. Every Silvermane Guard, from the day they pass the interview, only gets time off when they’re seriously injured or retire."

Pela shook her head, her expression slightly heavy.

"Can you really handle such high-intensity work without a break?"

"We have to adapt, even if it’s tough. After all—"

As if thinking of a certain important figure, a hint of respect appeared on Pela’s face.

"Even the future Supreme Guardian is fighting alongside us. If we, the ones being led, can’t endure a little hardship, how can we talk about protecting others in the future?"

"I see. What’s her name? She sounds like someone worth befriending!"

Venti asked with a smile.

He was looking forward to seeing her surprised and embarrassed expression when they met.

"Lady Bronya doesn’t have time to chat with you like I do. She’s very busy—"

Realizing she might have said more than she should, Pela quickly glanced around and leaned closer to Venti, lowering her voice.

"Anyway, forget about making friends. Also, remember to share the stories or poems from that day’s performance with me!"

"Don’t worry, I’ll save the best seat for you."

After getting his promise, Pela’s expression softened, her smile pure and gentle.

Her cherry-red lips, moistened by black tea, glistened under the dim light with the allure of a rare sea pearl

"Then it’s settled. If you’re late next time, I’ll stomp on your toes."

"For some people, that could be considered a reward, you know?"

Teasing her and watching her become flustered and stammer, Venti chuckled softly.

Miss Pela, having read extensively, was clearly had some knowledge about such things.

"You’re really something…"

Though she said that, Pela didn’t actually stomp on his foot. She just glared at him, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment, then quickly composed herself and went to the front desk to pay the bill.

Though she felt a bit embarrassed under the waiter’s curious gaze, Venti was truly broke, needing to buy gifts for the children in the lower districts.

However, he wasn’t the type to take advantage of others.

Outside the small house, feeling the noticeably colder air after nightfall, Pela rubbed her hands together and exhaled warm breath.

Venti took out the mechanical bird he had exchanged with Clara from his "Vision." After being "repaired" with elemental energy, it looked as good as new.

Its unusual shape immediatelyimmediately caught Pela’s attention. Birds were officially declared extinct in Belobog’s history.

Though there were many preserved images and replicas existed in Belobog, something this exquisitely crafted was rare…

It felt like something that belonged in the history museum, not something a poor bard who could barely afford food would casually pull out.

Thinking this, Pela looked up and asked,

"What’s this?"

"A gift for you."

"Leaving aside where it came from, just looking at it—you can tell it’s valuable, right? I can’t accept it."

"Don’t worry. I got it from a sweet little girl in exchange for a good story. It might look nice now, but it was nearly junk before. I put a lot of effort into fixing it."

"Also, when I opened it up, I found that most of the gear models and components inside were from the Pioneers’ era. The storage unit isn’t damaged either, so there might be hidden information. I figured it’d be best to give it to someone skilled at uncovering secrets—like you."

Venti explained casually, and while Pela felt a bit awkward about the 'skilled at uncovering secrets' remark, her curiosity about Pioneer-era artifacts was definitely piqued.

After all, Venti had no reason to lie to her, and he didn’t seem like someone who could afford something so valuable.  She decided to treat it as him being too embarrassed to be treated and using this to "compensate."

So Pela didn’t overthink it and accepted it graciously, saying seriously

"In that case, I need to investigate its origin. Once I’ve reviewed the data, I’ll make sure it’s handled properly."

"Mm-hmm. That’s right. Be sure to take good care of it. It might bring you good luck!"

Seeing Venti’s secretive demeanor, Pela didn’t want to burst his superstitious bubble and just smiled helplessly.

However, what she didn’t know was that this mechanical bird truly had the ability to bring "luck" to its holder.

"Now blessed by 'Barbatos,' its original functions—such as 'smart route guidance,' 'environmental data recording,' and 'crisis signal detection'—had been enhanced."

Even something as simple as bringing a warm breeze to the girl was within its capabilities.

There were also many hidden functionsbut the details would have to wait for Miss Pela to study at her own pace.

After confirming that the mechanical bird had successfully started up, Venti spoke at just the right moment

"Well, it’s getting late. Do you need me to walk you home?"

"Ah, no. I have to spend the night at the Intelligence Department later, so it’s not convenient to bring someone along."

"Still amazed by the mechanical bird’s smooth operation, Pela responded instinctively."

Only after realizing what she’d said did she blush deeply, not daring to look at Venti’s expression, and inwardly exclaiming in embarrassment..

Didn’t her words just now completely imply, "If it weren’t for the Intelligence Department, I could take you home"?!

"I see. Then, 「May the gentle wind accompany you and grant you a peaceful night」."

Failing to grasp the true meaning behind the girl’s words, the bard casually offered a noble-sounding farewell before disappearing as swiftly as the wind

Left standing there, Pela glanced in the direction he had gone, then at the mechanical bird perched on her shoulder, her tone a mix of disappointment and something else.

"Venti really is a guy who can’t stay still for a moment, don’t you think?"

The mechanical bird simply tilted its head, meeting her gaze without answering.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed for talking to herself, Miss Pela quickly adjusted her glasses and put on a serious expression.

After glancing around to make sure no one was looking her way, she finally let out a relieved sigh.

"—I almost did something out of character again. It feels like whenever I’m with Venti, my whole rhythm gets thrown off."

Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

The girl's delicate thoughts remained unanswered, and before long, the wind-riding bard arrived at a newly formed rift.

The familiar scent carried by the wind had piqued his curiosity.