Chapter : 98
The Single Performers Discover a Photography Exhibition
Happy New Year!
On a holiday, I went out for lunch with my friend, Laura.
Even though we, as busy performers, have hectic schedules, sometimes we need a break.
Laura and I hold these regular lunch meet-ups to relax and catch up.
“The other day, I joined a rehearsal as a substitute, and the conductor was… very unique,” Laura began.
“Oh, conductors do have their quirks, depending on the person,” I replied with a deep nod, agreeing with her sigh.
A conductor is an indispensable presence in an orchestra.
Our conductor, Eltover, is not only popular with audiences but also a top-tier conductor with outstanding skill.
But not all conductors are like him.
“What kind of conductor was it?” I asked.
“He would stop at every measure, and when he finally spoke, all he would say was about dynamics—loud or soft,” Laura explained.
“Ah! One of those people who stop the performance over the smallest things!”
It’s discouraging for performers when a conductor stops so frequently.
And yet, all he talks about is whether a note should be louder or softer. One can’t help but wonder if he has anything else to say.
“And when we had to redo a part, he would make us start from the very beginning…”
“Eh? Just a few measures back—one or two lines would be enough!”
“Yes, right? Exactly! But he made us restart from the first page of the sheet music!”
Even if you only need to redo a single measure, starting from the beginning is incredibly inefficient.
Is he some kind of time-rewinding magician?
This is the kind of bothersome conductor that exists in the world.
A troublesome conductor can greatly increase the mental strain on performers.
As we vented about conductors’ quirks and poorly arranged concert seating, we somehow finished our lunch without noticing.
“…I hear the apple pie here is good. Do you want dessert?” I suggested.
Laura pressed her stomach with an awkward expression.
“I’ll pass. If I gain any more weight, the dress I’m wearing might not fit properly,” she said.
For performers like us, who wear dresses daily while playing, being overweight is not acceptable.
Even if it were permitted, appearing in a concert with a heavier body goes against a woman’s pride.
“Isn’t it because of that binge you had the other day?” I asked.
“W-well, I couldn’t help it!”
Apparently, Laura had tried to visit a second place after indulging, but Jilk chose to go home to enjoy a flounder carpaccio instead.
Upset by this, Laura had thrown herself into eating as a way to vent her anger.
No wonder her dress was getting tight.
Well, considering what she had gone through, it’s understandable.
“I met Jilk at the café, but he seemed completely unfazed,” Laura said.
“I think Jilk probably didn’t realize what happened,” I replied.
“Judging by his attitude, that seems right,” Laura nodded.
Despite seeing Laura at the café, Jilk acted as if nothing had happened.
From what Laura told me, he might not have even realized someone had feelings for him.
Or maybe he noticed and just ignored it? If so, he’s quite the cruel man.
“It’s fine. It’s over now,” Laura sighed.
“But didn’t you give him a pretty intense look?” I teased.
“Ugh… but he’s just so cool,” she admitted.
“That’s true. He’s good-looking… at least on the outside,” I said.
Considering the Rulen family status, his profession as an artificer, accomplishments, and appearance, Jilk is quite the catch.
However, his twisted personality and extreme bachelor-centric ideology make him a rather unfortunate man. Truly a waste.
“Let’s stop talking about Jilk. How about a walk to clear our minds?” I suggested.
“Yes, I’m tired of sitting. Let’s walk a little,” Laura agreed.
Even though she was still hung up on Jilk, it would be rude to press her if she didn’t want to talk.
I decided to go along with Laura’s suggestion.
After paying at the restaurant, we walked down the street.
After lunchtime, the streets of the capital were calmer compared to early morning.
Yet, merchants were calling out to attract customers.
“Here’s an invitation to an exhibition! Please take one!”
As we walked past the shops, a woman suddenly handed me a flyer.
“…Oops. I took it reflexively,” I muttered, quickly pushing it back. The woman handing out flyers was already gone.
I usually avoid taking such things—she was certainly a professional.
“The flyer said it’s an exhibition, right? What kind of exhibition?” Laura asked, peeking at it.
“Photography Exhibition by Jilk Rulen”
I had to pause to process the information.
“…What is this?”
A photography exhibition by Jilk? I didn’t understand.
“Is it some kind of magical artifact exhibition?” Laura asked.
“No, it’s something like a painting created with a magical artifact. It’s written on the flyer,” I explained.
Ah, it must be the artifact we had seen when touring clothing shops with Count Aquinas.
The ability to instantaneously create highly detailed images, like paintings.
If he skillfully uses this to capture beautiful scenery, it could be worthy of an exhibition.
“The exhibition is hosted by Narcis Fotner!” Laura said.
“Eh? The famous Fotner family!?”
The Fotner family has produced many artists. Many famous people in the music world have connections to them.
Teaming up with such a top-tier artistic family… I couldn’t comprehend it.
“What should we do? It seems close by…” Laura asked timidly.
“It’s complicated, but if we don’t go, I’ll be bothered,” I said.
Now that I knew Jilk was holding an exhibition, it was impossible to ignore it.
“Let’s go. No matter the medium, it’s valuable for us as artists,” I decided.
“Yes,” Laura agreed.
As musicians, it’s important to encounter other people’s work to refine our own sensibilities.
Telling myself this, I felt a bit better about the lingering curiosity.
Holding the flyer, we headed slightly off the main street and found the exhibition.
It was a modestly sized rental gallery, a place I’d visited several times for different artists’ exhibitions.
But today, it was packed with people.
Laura and I were both stunned. We had never seen this gallery so crowded.
“…It’s really busy,” I whispered.
“Yes, let’s get in before it gets worse,” Laura said.
Turning around, more people were arriving, and if we dawdled, we might have to wait outside.
We bought tickets and entered the gallery.
“Wow! The interior has really changed,” I said.
“They really went all out,” Laura added.
The gallery usually had white walls, ceilings, and wooden floors, but today, decorations reflected the forest theme of the exhibition.
The gallery was unusually quiet. Normally, exhibitions like this have some chatter.
The reason soon became clear.
The photographs were that beautiful.
“…Katarina, are these really photos?” Laura asked in awe.
“Yes,” I nodded.
In front of us was a photo of a Ketzur perched on a branch, resting its wings.
“…A bird with stunning orange feathers only royalty may wear. I’ve only seen it in decorative form, but it’s truly elegant in reality,” I whispered.
It felt as if we were witnessing the Ketzur in the forest.
Jilk’s photography captivated the visitors with its realism and beauty.
Living in the noisy capital, we rarely see such natural scenery.
Being an adventurer, Jilk could photograph even outside dangerous cities.
Next was a photo of a deer-like creature called a Dialca. Birds perched on its back.
It was as heartwarming as a dog and cat playing together.
“Oh, there’s an explanation below,” Laura said.
“Dialca and oxpeckers live in the forest. Oxpeckers eat insects on Dialca. Some Dialca have many oxpeckers on them, some none. Like humans, some Dialca may be clean while others are not.”
Looking down, I saw the comment—likely from Jilk himself.
“So they have a symbiotic relationship,” I said.
“It’s interesting to see that even Dialca have different personalities,” Laura noted.
For people like us who know little about animal ecology, these little insights are fascinating.
After reading the explanation, the playful scene transformed into an understanding of symbiosis.
We moved from photo to photo—sunlight filtering through the forest floor, sunsets painting the woods crimson, fish swimming gracefully in clear rivers, a family of wild boars, and photos of goblins and ash wolves fighting over territory.
Each photo was beautiful, and combined with the gallery decorations, it felt like wandering through a real forest.
“…The forest holds beauty we didn’t know,” I said.
“And the harshness of nature too,” Laura added.
At her words, Jilk himself appeared.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“I was curious to see how my photos were displayed,” he said.
“You didn’t help with the setup?” I asked.
“I left the details to Viscount Fotner,” he replied.
So Jilk only provided the photos; the Viscount handled everything else.
It’s understandable why he was so passionate seeing them displayed.
“You used to take weird photos, but now you’re capable of serious work too,” I said.
“Weird photos?” he asked.
“Oh, previously, you made funny faces—”
“Don’t mention it, Laura! Let’s look at the other photos!” I interrupted, taking Laura’s hand to move on before Jilk could say anything else.
