Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 159: Viscount Birkbeck
"Ford, is your show over?"

Viscount Williams Birkbeck looked up at Alex and spoke in a very calm tone.

"He's a strict man..."

Roger quickly judged Viscount Birkbeck's character in his mind.

In Loen, there are only two situations where people address others by their last name without the suffixes "Mr." or "Ms."

One is the one that is obviously hostile and ready to find fault, while the other is the way teachers or other family elders address younger generations, which usually carries a harsh and scrutinizing tone.

"Yes, mentor."

Alex nodded, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Who is this?"

Williams Birkbeck looked at Roger with some confusion.

He didn't even ask about Alex Ford's performance.

In his opinion, presenting first-class performance in the Royal Orchestra's monthly theme performances should be the basic skill of his disciples.

If Alex's performance is good, that goes without saying. But if his performance is not good, rumors will sooner or later reach his ears. So instead of asking more questions, it is better not to ask, so as to avoid being angry with this disciple.

Roger finally understood why Alex always looked depressed and bullied every time he mentioned his mentor.

This kind of punitive education where good performance results in no bonus points and bad performance results in negative points is something no one can stand...

In response to Viscount Birkbeck's question, Alex replied:
"Teacher, this is the composer of 'Four Seasons Autumn' that I told you about before, Mr. Benedict Jones."

Upon hearing this, Roger took off his wide-brimmed hat and bowed slightly:
"Good evening, Lord Birkbeck."

"He's quite a talented young man."

Seeing Roger's expression, Viscount Burbeck's brows relaxed noticeably.

He glanced at Alex with disdain again and pointed at the sofa next to him:

"Please take a seat."

Roger nodded and sat on the two small black sofas next to him with Alex.

"Ford told me about you, saying that you created "Four Seasons: Autumn" from scratch in just half a month.

"is this real?"

Viscount Burbeck looked at Roger with some suspicion, and his last question was quite harsh!

It wasn't that he doubted the possibility of genius emerging - on the contrary, he himself was a well-known talented musician in the Loen music world.

What is really strange about Viscount Birkbeck is that Roger's creation time is too short!
Because "Four Seasons Autumn" is not a draft created by the composer during the creative process, but a mature violin concerto that can be played by a variety of orchestral instruments!

Viscount Birkbeck asked himself, if he wanted to compose a piece of music of the same level himself, it would take at least two to three months.

Now, this young man named Benelu Jones actually did it in just half a month, and he was able to achieve this level in his first song after he made the big jump from being a singer to a composer!
This is no longer a genius, should it be called a monster?
Or maybe... an extraordinary person?
Unlike many other nobles, Viscount Birkbeck knew about the existence of Beyonders.

Not long after he became famous, people from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery and the nobility of Loen extended olive branches to him, inviting Viscount Birkbeck to become a Beyonder.

In particular, the person from the Steam Church said that there is a potion formula that can allow Viscount Birkbeck to recall all the knowledge and books he has read, which will undoubtedly greatly help music performance and creation.

The other party tried to persuade Viscount Birkbeck in this way, but Viscount Birkbeck did not bother to use extraordinary abilities to pursue his artistic career at that time.

He was quite stubborn in his belief that these methods would cause musicians to lack a true feeling for the music, and that they were a form of cheating and a desecration of art.

And it is not ruled out that Benelu Jones is an extraordinary person who uses extraordinary abilities to create!
"To be honest, I actually started trying to compose "Four Seasons Autumn" and several other pieces a long time ago."

Roger was prepared.

He did not dwell on the meaningless question of how long it took to compose "Four Seasons: Autumn".

On the contrary, his most important goal has always been to gain an anchor by building his fame and then promoting the sales of records containing his own music.

On the other hand, his reputation as a talented composer had already spread, and Viscount Birkbeck's change in cognition alone would have no effect at all.

While Roger was talking about his pre-arranged musical creation process, he also interspersed some of his understanding of the musical essence of "Four Seasons Autumn" gained from the recent performance.

Since all of those understandings came from the spiritual insights fed back to Roger by the audience during the performance, it means that he was actually expounding on a collective complex that was even more grand than Viscount Burbeck's personal insights when he heard "The Four Seasons: Autumn".

It must be said that Viscount Birkbeck had never heard such an interpretation of music before. For a moment he nodded repeatedly, and the muscles on his usually serious face relaxed a little.

Alex couldn't help but be shocked by this.

It was the first time he saw his mentor like this!

"Yes, you do have some unique understanding of music."

Finally, Viscount Birkbeck gave his own evaluation of Roger.

Alex Ford quickly struck while the iron was hot and spoke:
"Teacher, Baleno also composed a very interesting violin piece. He brought the music score today. Are you interested in listening to it?"

"Oh?"

Viscount Birkbeck raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.

He opened his mouth and said:
"If it's just a rough draft, don't show it to me yet. Wait until the finished product is out."

"No, mentor, it's the finished product."

Alex glanced at Roger, who gave him an encouraging look, and then he spoke.

After getting permission from Viscount Birkbeck, Roger took out the music score of "The Sorrow of Love" from his bag and handed it to him.

Viscount Birkbeck took a quick look and said:
"Love that can't be obtained? That's a good theme."

This time, even Roger was slightly stunned.

Although he himself could also rely on his extraordinary ability as a "composer" to grasp the spiritual core of the music by just glancing at the score, he was still somewhat surprised that Viscount Birkbeck could do the same.

Just now, when Roger entered Viscount Burbeck's office, he had used his "clairvoyance" to confirm that the other party was not an extraordinary person!
“The artistic conception is very rich and the emotions are quite complex. It’s not the kind of pretentious, empty, and pathetic music that’s prevalent in the market… Those kinds of songs are usually created by young people who haven’t experienced much.

"They haven't experienced much, and their understanding of life is too bland, so when they talk about sadness, it always seems incomplete."

Viscount Birkbeck commented bluntly.

"This is what ancient Chinese people call 'forcing sorrow in order to compose new poems'..."

Roger nodded in approval, agreeing with Viscount Birkbeck's statement.

"But then again, you seem quite young and have a lot of experience, don't you?"

Viscount Birkbeck changed the subject and asked again with interest.

"To be honest, in order to compose this piece, I visited several relatives of soldiers who had lost their spouses or children in the war and listened to their opinions and feelings..."

Roger said without changing his expression.

"Yes, this is the resilience that creators should have.

"Ford, play this piece for me."

Viscount Birkbeck praised him and then turned to look at his disciple Alex.

"Ah? Good mentor."

Alex was obviously a little flattered. He was still thinking about how to bring this up to his mentor, but he didn't expect the other party to actually bring it up on his own initiative.

This also gave him further confidence in Roger's strength.

Because Alex knew his mentor very well. If the other party didn't like a piece of music, he wouldn't even have the urge to look at the music score, let alone give Roger an evaluation and specifically ask to listen to the performance!
He quickly took out his violin, checked it briefly, and then placed the bow on the strings.

As the music of "The Sorrow of Love" engraved with the rule of "sorrow" lingered in the office, Viscount Birkbeck's eyes widened slightly, as if he had not expected to have such new feelings after hearing the music with his own ears.

For a musician, the music score is certainly cold and not as lively as the music itself, but for someone of Viscount Birkbeck's stature, seeing the music score is almost like hearing the music with one's own ears.

So you can imagine how surprised he was!
After the song ended, although Viscount Birkbeck still had no expression on his face, the slightly red corners of his eyes had already betrayed him.

Alex was originally immersed in the tragic atmosphere of "The Tragedy of Love", but when he saw the look on Viscount Birkbeck's face, he immediately felt much better.

Since Alex became Viscount Birkbeck's apprentice, this was the first time he saw his mentor so moved by a piece of music.

A feeling of pride and excitement surged in Alex's heart, and he quietly waited for what Viscount Birkbeck was about to say.

"Hmm... Although it's a completely different style of music, it feels like it incorporates emotions in a similar way to 'Four Seasons: Autumn'."

Viscount Birkbeck said uncertainly:

“In the actual performance, the emotional value of this piece is more prominent than the score itself… It is quite touching.

"This is another excellent violin piece. I think it has exceeded the Royal Orchestra's standard for external performances. We can try to distribute it to young people and let them practice it.

"Of course, all of this will have to wait until the copyright for the music is confirmed... I'll discuss this with Mr. Saxon, and you can contact him directly when the time comes. He'll be responsible for printing the textbooks, and you can earn the copyright fees from it."

Mr. Saxon was the middle-aged man in charge of affairs who had previously received Roger at the Royal Art Company.

Viscount Birkbeck's evaluation of "The Tragedy of Love" made Alex Ford, who was quite familiar with Viscount Birkbeck, secretly astonished.

You know, his mentor wasn't entirely happy with much of the Royal Orchestra's current repertoire, so getting him to say things like "excellent" and "ready for a textbook" was truly remarkable. "Thank you, Your Excellency, Viscount Birkbeck."

Roger nodded gratefully to the chief artistic advisor of the Royal Orchestra. He could see that he had inspired the other party to appreciate his talent.

"By the way, there is one more thing I want to ask you."

Roger thought for a moment and said:
"I wonder if the Royal Band has any special record distribution channels?"

Viscount Birkbeck was slightly taken aback when he heard this. He then said:

"Are you interested in releasing records? That's a bit of a niche interest."

"Yes, I think young people should try more opportunities... Moreover, I think the phonograph may become the next big thing in the entertainment industry."

Because the new clockwork phonograph has entered the patent registration stage, Mr. Leppard has submitted the patent documents to the Patent Administration under the Royal Academy of Sciences of Loen and has passed the verification. It is estimated that the formal patent certificate will be issued soon.

According to Rune's business regulations, as long as a patent passes the review of the Patent Office, it is protected by law.

It was precisely because of this that Roger boldly told Viscount Birkbeck a lot of his improvements and innovations to the phonograph, including miniaturization, portability, clockwork design and overall pricing plan.

At this point, not only Viscount Birkbeck, but even Alex Ford, who was also a young man standing next to him, was stunned!
"It seems you really did something big in secret."

Alex said with his mouth open.

"Ford, shut up, and watch how you talk."

Viscount Birkbeck glared at his disciple and said, "Mr. Jones did this through the proper invention declaration process. His actions are fully in line with commercial law. Moreover, this is a feat that may change the entire music industry.

“You have to know that currently, art forms such as classical music and symphonies are slowly dying out among young people because the threshold for appreciation is too high and the channels are limited.

"Now that Mr. Jones has lowered the price of phonographs, this will play a huge role in supporting more music lovers and helping the kingdom discover outstanding musicians.

"In fact, this also concerns your career development..."

Alex was criticized by his mentor and could only say helplessly:
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, Mr. Jones, I'm sorry, tutor."

Roger couldn't help laughing.

Through the conversation with Viscount Birkbeck just now, he has basically understood the character of the chief artistic advisor of the Royal Orchestra.

Although the latter is quite strict and demanding of Alex Ford, he truly loves the music industry and is very caring towards talented juniors.

Now that he has gained the other party's recognition, this will undoubtedly bring him great convenience in releasing records and promoting phonographs in the future.

Sure enough, he heard Viscount Birkbeck continue:
"I remember you were from DeWork Music, right?"

Roger's heart moved, and he replied:

"Yes, Your Excellency."

“You go directly to Baron de Work and tell him you need to release records and promote the phonograph.

"He owns a very powerful company that is responsible for the promotion and distribution of artworks. I own the majority of the shares in it, so I will surely play a significant role in promoting the products.

"On the other hand, DeWork Music Company has professional record-burning equipment. If you don't mind, you can just bring Ford with you to the recording session... Of course, if you don't like him, that's understandable."

Viscount Birkbeck replied.

"Teacher, there's no need to say the last sentence..."

Alex Ford complained silently in his heart, but he didn't dare to contradict his teacher.

Roger glanced at Alex's deflated look with amusement. He knew very well that Viscount Burbeck wanted him to help his apprentice gain some experience points and fame.

He nodded readily:

“No problem, I was planning on working with Alex anyway.

"Also, thank you so much, this helped me a lot."

Viscount Burbeck nodded, glanced at the clock on the wall, and returned to his serious expression.

"Okay, I'm getting ready to get off work. If you don't have anything else, you can leave first."

Alex Ford breathed a sigh of relief. He stood up, put away the piano, and said goodbye to Viscount Birkbeck with Roger.

After leaving the Royal Theatre, Roger looked up at the full moon in the sky.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Today is the full moon, and I have to go back and study the bracelet Fors gave me."

Thinking of this, Roger hurriedly stopped a horse-drawn carriage and drove towards No. 15 Minsk Street.

After arriving home, Roger discovered that Klein was not at home. Only Bandit was still warming himself by the fireplace.

As the season gradually entered deep autumn, Loen had recently experienced several freezing rains, and the weather had become noticeably colder.

"Who lit this stove for you? Klein?"

Roger looked at Bandit with amusement.

"Myself."

Bandit stretched and exposed his belly very comfortably:

"Don't tell me you think my intelligence isn't enough to master the use of this little fireplace?"

Roger squatted down and pinched Bandit's chubby cheeks:

"Be proud of yourself, but be careful of carbon monoxide poisoning.

"What is carbon monoxide poisoning?"

Bandit sat up in confusion and asked curiously.

“…The answer to this question may depend on Melissa.”

Roger couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Bandit learning fluid mechanics equations on the girl's legs.

"Help me guard the living room and don't let anyone enter my workshop.

"You can't do it yourself. You will die."

Bandit flicked his tail:

"Are you going to do those evil god summoning rituals again?
"Although I'm just a cat, I still want to remind you that believing in evil gods is not the right path, and the prodigal son's return is the way home..."

What kind of nonsense did Klein teach this cat all day?

Roger's mouth twitched slightly, and he no longer paid attention to the tabby cat who had become weird since being promoted to "Astrologer". He turned around and went upstairs to his workshop.

He turned on the gas lamp, sat at the table, and then took out the metal jewelry box that Fors had given him from the drawer and took out the bracelet inside.

It seemed that it was because of the full moon, or perhaps because he had the blood of the Abraham family. Roger, who was not an extraordinary person on the "apprentice" path, actually felt an indescribable whispering in his ears when he picked up the bracelet.

But soon, the sound gradually became smaller and then quieted down.

This scene reminded Roger of the situation in the underground secret room of the Aurora Society in Tingen City, when the "Dark Saint" Xesma asked him to listen to the mumbling of the "True Creator".

The "True Creator", who had initially recovered the ability to mutter, immediately closed his mouth and stopped talking when he heard the noise made by the "Noisy One".

Mr. "Men"'s current situation is very similar to that of the "Real Creator" at that time.

"This is somewhat different from when I... no, when Ghroth first came to Earth."

On the night Roger traveled through time, the Fallen Mother Goddess was stimulated by the "Voice of the Celestial Bodies" and her mind became abnormal. This abnormality intensified the madness of Mr. "The Door" Bethel Abraham, causing him to utter unprecedented terrifying delirium, killing almost all the extraordinary people in the Abraham family and making them explode in the head.

However, now that Mr. "Men" is facing himself, who may also contain the vibrations of "celestial sounds", he actually chooses to keep his mouth shut. What does this mean?
"Is it that I haven't been able to fully emit the 'Voice of the Celestial Bodies' yet, or is it that the object of my direct stimulation isn't the 'Mother Goddess' but Mr. 'Gate' who is under Her control... or is there some other reason?"

Roger was puzzled. He could only shake his head, put aside his speculations for the time being, and began to build the ritual magic altar.

The contents of this ritual magic were very similar to those he had prepared when calling upon Mr. Fool.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the spiritual materials needed to contact their ancestor, Bethel Abraham, as recorded in the Abraham family notes, were surprisingly similar to what Klein had said at Sefirah Castle.

"Perhaps Klein is, in some sense, truly serving as a 'beacon of destiny'..."

Roger sighed, and he dropped four different plant essential oils on the candle to stimulate a pleasant aroma.

As the "Spiritual Wall" was built, Roger began to silently recite a specific prayer to the bracelet Fors had given him:
“The Gate of Ten Thousand Doors is everywhere!

"You are the beacon of knowledge originating from this star region.

“It is also the key to unlocking all secrets.

"May the secret door of this bracelet be opened..."

This is the prayer that Roger modified based on the honorific name of "Gate of Ten Thousand Doors".

But this content does not refer to Bethel Abraham, but to the bracelet itself.

The reason for doing this is to avoid irritating Mr. "Door", and the two qualifiers "the omnipresent door of thousands of doors" and "the secret door of this bracelet" form a high and low echo and create an equivalent relationship in the mystical sense.

In this way, the object of his prayer became the power of the "door" path in this bracelet. Roger could directly stimulate the mystical experience and gain enlightenment about the source of the contamination of this bracelet.

Not only that, Roger also used the qualifier "this star field" to prevent the prayer from pointing to Yog-Sothoth, the "One of All Things", who has a close relationship with him and a close symbol, and causing a catastrophe!
(End of this chapter)