CH 45

[Flow of Fate]

“Opera?” (Amanai)

“Yeah. That diva Luisina Mateos’s opera performance. I got some tickets, see, so how about you use them to make up with Reika?” (Ethel)

“Going to opera to make up for her, you say… I don’t think that sort of stuff is to Reika’s liking, though.” (Amanai)

Amanai saw the tickets offered by Ethel and said so.

In the first place, Amanai and Reika were from rural areas and had never anything to do with opera, so even if they were told ‘that diva’, they wouldn’t really get its significance.

In addition, Amanai had only ever watched opera twice in his lifetime as part of the cultural education he learned at school.

However, to be clear, he only remembered to be uninteresting and absolutely boring; those experiences diminished his motivation for opera.

Therefore, it was inevitable that he thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be ten thousand times better if we go out and play rather than that?’; him showing a bitter reaction was a matter of course.

(Besides, Luisina Mateos is one of the executives of the ‘Black Sword’. If anything happens, it will be difficult for the current me to escape…) (Amanai)

Since it was April, there was no doubt that she was, in all likelihood, only be doing her surface job as an opera singer.

However, Luisina Mateos was one of the most powerful enemies in the original game, and he remembered being given tastes of hardships many times fighting against her subordinates, three demonkins, at the event on September.

Although he knew that it wasn’t the time for such an event to occur according to the time, he didn’t want to approach her as much as possible, so Amanai didn’t intend to take Ethel’s proposal.

“Chi chi chi, the thing that girls from rural areas yearn for the most is opera, y’know, Amanai. And if you’re looking for a popular opera among girls, then it is definitely the ‘Prestige’, y’know.” (Ethel)

“Haa.” (Amanai)

“Ah— mou! This guy really doesn’t understand girl’s heart! There’s no girl who doesn’t attracted by a date spot where she can enjoy a little mature atmosphere with a boy she likes!” (Ethel)

“Even if you told me so…… If Reika say she really wants to watch it, then I will go, but inviting her to go to an opera to make up really doesn’t sounds like the sort of stuff that would come from me, right?” (Amanai)

After seeing Amanai’s totally unwilling response, Ethel understood that persuading him anymore than that was meaningless, so she decided to withdraw.

Amanai felt sorry at her disappointed appearance, but he had no intention of following along her suggestion now.

“I’ll just keep it in mind as one of the candidates for the time being. Thanks for your concern.” (Amanai)

“If you ask for it later, I’ll charge you for extra, alright? Be prepared.” (Ethel)

“Stop acting like a reseller. You’ll anger various people, you know?” (Amanai)

“Why are you suddenly making such a serious face… Well, I won’t do that sort of things to my friends.” (Ethel)

“Don’t do that even to other people.” (Amanai)

“A-alright! What are being you so angry about… it’s a bit scary.” (Ethel)

“Ah, no, uhm… sorry. I remember something a little unpleasant.” (Amanai)

Suddenly remembering a memory from his previous life where ‘he lined in a store for a limited edition good from the morning, but it was purchased in large quantities by several people in front of him and sold out, then at a later date they were sold in large quantities at the online auction’, Amanai unintentionally raised his voice; he then decided to give her one of the items he had on hand as an apology.

It was a one-time use magic stone could deal a fixed damage to any opponent; its price was less than 500 gold, but from the standpoint of a junior student, it was an item with almost the same value as the reward for one quest.

Of course, there was no reason for Ethel to decline it. Rather, due to her persistent bargaining, he finally ended up handing over her three of them; Amanai felt like he saw the bad part of Ethel’s perseverance.

“That being the case, it was no good~. A shame, ain’t it, Reika-chan.” (Ethel)

“Mu, muuu~. Blockhead Hayato~!” (Reika)

“Honestly, I don’t see that many guys interested in watching opera, so I think this is the obvious result, though.” (Ethel)

Ethel laughed at Reika, who was hiding during the interactions between the two, while rolling the magic stones she got from Amanai in the palm of her hand.

Originally, Reika felt a kind of admiration for opera.

She had the illusion that ‘opera’ was an upper-class entertainment because she was from a rural area.

A dramatic story with music echoing in a dim hall, depicting various worlds that could be said to be unrelated to her.

In particular, the vocal solo (aria) that expresses the feelings of love and hate sang by the exiled princess played by the diva Luisina Mateos was rumored to be so wonderful that once you hear it, you would come to the venue again and again just for it.

If she could watch such an opera side by side with Hayato, how romantic would it be?

“But if you invited him yourself, it would feel kinda off, and because it’s more romantic and you would be happier if Amanai is the one who invite you, you tried to use me to carry out the monkey business…… what a splendid and honorable defeat.” (Ethel)

“Stop~, don’t say more~!” (Reika)

“Geez, just be honest and invite him. Amanai also said he’ll go if Reika wanna go, no?” (Ethel)

“But wouldn’t it kinda feel like I lost!” (Reika)

“A feeling or whatever, aren’t you certainly have lost now?” (Ethel)

Having the fact thrusted straight at her, Reika weakly crouched on spot.

As for Ethel, at first, she thought she could just leave as she was, but then, she came to the conclusion that it would be more beneficial in the long run to encourage her to some extent than to abandon her, so she decided to comfort her as she was free anyway.

“To begin with, Reika’s approach is bad. Real bad, y’know.” (Ethel)

“Bad, you say…” (Reika)

“Listen, okay? At times like this…” (Ethel)

In this way, Reika received Ethel’s lecture, and she finally passed the ticket to Amanai and somehow succeeded in getting him to promise her to go on an opera date.

Ethel, watching their situation, looked at the ticket she had saved for herself, thinking what a troublesome couple they were, and remembered that she was told to stop reselling by Amanai she muttered, “It would be a hassle if he finds out I resell it later anyway, since it would be a waste, shall I go watch it too?”, so she walked away.