Chapter 25: Where Joy Is (1)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the hall, the song was over.
With a round of applause and cheers, the girl who had been listening quietly turned to look at the old man sitting beside her.
“What do you think, Princ.i.p.al?”
“Not bad.” Maxwell seemed quite pleased.
“Only not bad?” The girl blinked her eyes in surprise.
“Your Highness is putting me in a very difficult position.” Maxwell shook his head and smiled, “The music, good or bad, really depends on the performers and the audience’s heart. From what I heard, his performance was very skillful. This is a kid who’s worked very hard. He isn’t here just because of his family.”
“Why is it just not bad then?”
“Probably because…his performance was missing an element of joy?”
“Joy?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Joy is the essence of music. Life is painful without joy, not to mention as is music,” Maxwell explained.
“Isn’t music a serious matter?”
Maxwell laughed, “Forgive me, but have you ever been to a pub?”
Mary thought for a moment, then shook her head regretfully, “No.”
“That’s a pity, you should go,” Maxwell said. “I know a good pub. The decoration is okay, not many tables either, and the owner had a bad temper, but it had good wine.
“When he gets drunk, the owner would take the trichord, and jump on the stage to play. Once he gets to the exciting part, he’d sing and dance, even if he plays terribly. But n.o.body listens to him because all the guests are drunk by then. But even though they’re drunk and asleep, it’s still joyful to hear music like that.”
“So that’s what joy means?” Mary seemed to have understood.
“Something like that,” said Maxwell. He started to laugh suddenly, “Sorry, I’m lecturing again. It comes with my job.”
“Not at all. If you, the Princ.i.p.al, would be willing to teach me, I would not mind studying at your school.” The girl grinned.
“Oh please, I do not have the strength to take on another apprentice.” Maxwell smiled wryly. “Now, Your Highness came so suddenly today, what exactly for? Just to make fun of this old man?”
“Well, it’s a long story…” With that, the girl’s expression became somewhat helpless. “Yesterday, Uncle sent me a letter from the North Wall ad it’s for you, Princ.i.p.al.”
“Your uncle?” Maxwell became serious, “Is he back?”
“He just wrote a letter and expedited it to you. He even used the wind tunnel. There was a loud noise last night and this letter was just thrown onto the table. The guards had thought that there was an a.s.sa.s.sin.”
“To be honest, I am very curious what is so important for that psycho to write me a letter.”
Maxwell took the letter from the girl and opened the letter. He was silent for a long time.
After a long time, he looked up and smiled, “Your Highness, your letter, came …a bit too late.”
“Too late?” Mary was shocked and uneasy, “Is it an urgent message?”
“No, no, it’s nothing urgent. But for some people…it’s probably more important than anything else.” Maxwell sighed and opened the letter, “- this is a letter of recommendation, Your Highness.”
The girl took the letter. Her expression turned to confusion, probably because she could not understand her uncle’s abstract logic and wording. There were only three short lines of writing, one for letterhead, one with the content, and one to end the letter. He had not even bothered with the date.
To Maxwell:
Soon there will be a white haired Eastern boy coming to you to take the exam, please accept.
– Johann Sebastian.
“I do not know how much money that b.a.s.t.a.r.d actually received to make him write this letter to me, but he has no concept of time. Your Highness, it is too late. That child might have been locked out already!”
The girl was silent for a moment. She lowered her head and pressed her lips together, “This is my fault.”
“It is that old b.a.s.t.a.r.d’s fault.” The Princ.i.p.al rubbed her hair, verging on being impolite, “Do not be sad.”
With that, he pulled over the fat guy who was pa.s.sing by.
Mr. Sidney was so excited. He felt like he was walking on clouds and he looked like a penguin happily flying. When he saw the serious Princ.i.p.al, he was suddenly brought back into reality, instantly ready for duty. He first respectfully bowed to the girl, and then his eyes locked onto the Princ.i.p.al, unsure what game the old man wanted to play.
“How can I help you Princ.i.p.al?”
“Yes, Mr. Sidney, I want to ask you about someone.” Maxwell put down the gla.s.s, and gestured the height of a teenager. “Did you see a teenager while you were greeting the guests? He should have had no invitation.”
“Ah?” Sidney was surprised for a moment, but then a bad feeling slowly crept up on him.
“Well, he’s an Easterner with white hair. Have you seen him?”
“…Was he with a dog?”
“I do not know that. I guess you have seen him.” Maxwell nodded. He saw Sidney’s face and began to feel worse. “Hey, Mr. Sidney, you …drove him away?”
Sidney hesitated then nodded. He saw Maxwell’s and the young girl’s pitiful eyes.
“Haha, I can’t believe it really si like this.” Maxwell laughed, and then put his hands on Sidney’s shoulders. He said seriously, “It seems that I have misunderstood you in the past. I have always thought you could not bear any responsibilities. But today, you have completed changed my mind… but since you have admitted to this, are you willing to take the responsibility?”
Before Sidney became furious, he was stunned by the second half of his words. What was the old man playing at? He suddenly regretted that he had not been careful enough.
“That’s my duty, sir!” Sidney looked gloomy, and swatted the Princ.i.p.al’s hand, “He did not have an invitation, nor was he on the list. Furthermore, he was dressed like a beggar. Did I do something wrong?” He paused, “Forgive me. I did see that little thug you asked about. That kind of trouble would only disrupt the banquet. I had to drive him away. I do not think that was a mistake.
“If you are dissatisfied with my work, you may report me to the committee, and I believe that the committee will make a fair judgment! But this is the Royal Academy of Music; it is not a place that anybody can just walk in! ”
Sidney had thought that his last sentence was a stroke of genius. The Princ.i.p.al must now be completely impressed with him. It was definitely a rare occasion. Sidney’s eyes gleamed with pride.
“Haha,” Maxwell laughed. “You must be joking. Why would anyone go to the committee for this?”
After Maxwell had lost his last battle with the committee, he obviously did not dare to attack the committee again. Sidney sneered, “Then please be careful with your words.”
“No, no, no, you misunderstood me.” Maxwell’s sighed sympathetically, “I mean that the committee cannot protect you.”
“You!”
Before Sidney finished, Maxwell put the letter of recommendation in front of him.
“I hope you can still read, Mr. Sidney. After reading this, I hope you can still maintain your level of confidence.”
Sidney glanced at the letterhead, the name felt vaguely familiar, but he was not sure. Then his heart suddenly skipped a beat. “Johann Sebastian?” Sidney exclaimed in surprise.
Maxwell nodded, “Yes.”
“Which Sebastian?” Sidney asked a silly question, but his bad feeling became even stronger.
The Princ.i.p.al sighed deeply, “I have already said, to let someone who’s not even a musician be a professor is not a very reliable decision.” He pointed to the painting on the wall, “Which Sebastian do you think? Who can be called ‘uncle’ by Her Highness? The Sebastian who sells vegetables? The doorman Sebastian? Or the Sebastian whose picture is now hanging on the wall?”
Sidney suddenly felt very uneasy. He looked up and felt as if his head had been smashed with a big hammer.
He understood, and it meant big trouble.
He sluggishly stared at the skinny guy in the oil painting above, and could not help but twitch a bit. He thought someone must be playing a joke on him.
“Yes, that’s him.” The Princ.i.p.al held his shoulder. He pleasantly clinked his gla.s.s, and saluted the painting, “King of Black, the uncrowned king, the most powerful musician, Guardian of Men, the greatest explorer and musician, and my old friend. The one who is credited with the t.i.tle of Bach, Johann Sebastian!”
The Princ.i.p.al continued, “Haha, so this guy is kind of great, right? How about that, aren’t you glad or surprised? ”
He winked at Sidney, “You did give me a surprise today. You do know who the last person recommended by Sebastian was, right?”
Who? Who else could it be? It was that genius boy whose reputation was known to the world overnight, who won the crown of the King of Yellow and mysteriously disappeared right after!”
After a long, long time, Sidney finally recovered from his shock. He stared at the Princ.i.p.al, “I, I…”
Sidney swallowed his saliva. Seeing the girl’s face turn sour, he felt like a fat penguin who had fallen into a pit of fire.
“Princ.i.p.al, Your Highness, I…I can explain.” He was about to cry, sweating like a pig, “You have to hear me out, I did not, no, I was, he is, no, I mean…please give me a chance to make it up.”
Maxwell shrugged indifferently and whistled, showing that there was nothing he could do.
“You cannot do that!” Sidney was on the verge of breaking down. He lost restraint and grabbed onto the Princ.i.p.al’s collar, “I have been awarded by the academy for exemplary service; I bled for the Kingdom of Anglo! You cannot do this! I was only protecting the academy! Is that wrong?!”
“It is a pity, but unfortunately every man here knows that…” Maxwell whispered in Sidney’s ear, “You love the academy, but the academy doesn’t love you.”
Sidney seemed to have lost all his strength. He stumbled back and muttered something incoherent, “I will find him immediately! I will go looking for him now…”
His face was twitching. He pulled the manager over, “Mike, now, get everyone together …and find me that white-haired Eastern boy!” Sidney tightly clutched his shoulder, “Go, run, understand?!”
His eyes were red, and he kept muttering, “I hope he has not gone far! I hope he has not gone far! I hope he has not gone far!”
Sidney was desperately praying, but saw the manager standing with a strange look on his face. “Why are you still standing here?” Sidney was furious, “Go and look!”
“White hair, Eastern.” The manager asked quietly, “Is he also with a dog?”
Sidney grabbed him before he could even finish his sentence, grasping for the last straw, he almost wanted to kiss him, “You saw?! You saw him? You have seen the guy?
“Yes.” The manager nodded uneasily, but with certainty, “I saw this man.”
“Thank G.o.d, the saints, Alibaba, Hallelujah!” Sidney was in ecstasy, almost cried out with excitement. He exclaimed, “Where!? Where!? Take me there now!”
“Uh.” The manager looked at the Princ.i.p.al and the girl standing beside them, and hesitated.
“What are you doing? Talk! Where is he?!” Sidney was about to cry.
The manager struggled to find the words and finally answered helplessly, “… in our kitchen.”