A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 160 The Pizza Girl's Arcane Festival Dream (6)

The atmosphere instantly froze into an eerie stillness.

It's like two classmates who always talk about how they look down on anime and manga, and they unexpectedly bump into each other at a mobile game event. One of them has Paimon printed on his clothes, and the other is carrying a long, thin pillow shaped like the god of grass.
Haha, so it's you too.
Pepe broke the silence first, her voice a little dry, "I was thinking that since we've never been to the museum before, maybe some of the things have ended up there. Professor Jacob happened to be free, so..."

She stopped abruptly, realizing she didn't need to explain, as if she were feeling guilty.

When Celia heard "Jacob," she wondered if the nun knew Jacob from the disciplinary office.

Although her manners weren't as impeccable as Pepe's, she was still a very polite student and would always greet her teacher when she saw them outside. She gave Ankuya a slight bow.

"Good afternoon, Anku—uh?!!"

Before he could even utter the word "Asia," Quinn covered his mouth with her hand.

"Anku?"

Pepe looked at Celia, whose mouth was covered, with a puzzled expression. Quinn quickly tried to cover for her, saying, "There's an ice cream maker in the Grindelwald Academy cafeteria named Anku. Celia meant to say, 'Good afternoon, Professor Jacob. I really like ice cream now that you have it.' Oh, you little glutton—"

Celia, whose mouth was covered: ?

Ankuya understood immediately.

"I've already eaten this. Here, take this one."

He handed the uneaten ice cream cone in his right hand to Quinn, who immediately shoved it into Celia's mouth, silencing her and telling her not to say a word.

They covered the girl's mouth and fed her, making her blush deeply.

Quinn and Ankuya exchanged glances for two seconds, and despite their mutual skepticism, they tacitly decided that they couldn't stay together.

“Pepe and I are planning to eat at the stall next door, want to come along?” Ankuya asked enthusiastically.

"No, no, we still have to go to our piano lesson."

Quinn regretted his words as soon as he finished speaking, just as Pepe looked at him with shining eyes.

"Hey, piano? Are you going to teach her?"

"I wouldn't call it teaching, just some casual practice. My skills aren't that great."

Upon hearing this, Celia immediately stopped eating and said urgently, "Teacher plays the piano incredibly well! He's the most amazing pianist I've ever seen. Even our dean said, 'Kuei—uh-uh-uh?!'"

Quinn immediately stuffed an ice cream cone into Celia's mouth again.

"This damn weather, the ice cream cone is going to melt soon, hurry up and eat it."

"kui?"

Peipei frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Um... Miss Celia, I think I heard you calling out 'Que...' earlier."

An ice cream was suddenly thrust into her mouth, interrupting her. Ankua handed her his own ice cream, saying, "It's melting, eat it."

“Huh?” Peipei was taken aback. “You’ve already eaten this.”

“Too many people, the ice cream is sold out.” Ankuya shrugged. “Haven’t you been longing for Merlin’s desserts? If you miss this chance, you’ll have to go to Grindelwald to eat them again.”

“But…” Pepe glanced at the bite mark on the ice cream cone, looking somewhat bewildered.

“In Grindelwald, sharing the same ice cream cone is a testament to friendship,” Ankuya said earnestly. “Thousands of years ago, Merlin and the first headmaster of the academy, the Elf Queen Tiresia, often shared an ice cream cone in public. Until Merlin’s death, they were the best of colleagues and friends.”

“Yes, this is also recorded in the ‘Biography of the Elf Queen.’ It’s an old tradition of the academy.” Quinn nodded seriously. “He and I would occasionally share an ice cream cone to deepen our friendship.”

Ankua's feigned warm and gentle demeanor almost crumbled; who the hell would share an ice cream cone with you?
Hearing this, Peipei accepted the ice cream, whispered "thank you" as a gesture of hospitality, and took a bite of what was considered a "tradition among good friends."

It's so sweet, with a vanilla aroma and a rich buttery and milky flavor.
My mother was right; Grindelwald's food is addictive.
"I haven't had breakfast yet, I'm hungry so I'll be going now." Ankua's slightly embarrassed and apologetic smile was flawless. "See you tonight."

"See you tonight."

He glanced at Celia, a serious look flashing in his eyes that only Quinn could understand.

"Don't forget about the work at the college."

"of course."

Ankuya, nibbling on her ice cream cone, watched as Pepe, who had suddenly fallen silent, left the side hall. Perhaps she was lost in thought or had something on her mind, for she didn't even say goodbye properly, which was unusual for a nun who had received strict upbringing.

Once the two returned to the first floor of the museum and had almost finished licking their ice cream cones, Peipei asked softly, "Do you have work tonight?"

"There will be a party held under the Eye of Grindelwald, with speeches by councilors, dancer performances, product launches, musical performances, and some arcane demonstrations. It's an annual tradition, and it's organized by the academy."

This man, as always, was serious and responsible, handling everything in his life and work in an orderly manner.

"Both of us will participate, but it's not really work, as long as nothing goes wrong."

"Do you want to go on stage?"

"The performances mainly feature arcane artifacts, with the theme primarily focused on industrial production. I won't be on stage; the sales staff from the school administration's holding company will take the stage. In short, it's about selling goods. After that, you can watch the show." He summarized it simply in terms that Peipei could understand.

"So, Mr. Jacob doesn't have much work at night?"

"Heh, that's not much compared to usual, after all, the academy occasionally lets its employees enjoy holidays."

"Then," Pepe asked hopefully, "can I come along? It won't bother you. The Arcane Festival's evening performances sound like a lot of fun. And if you have time afterward, we can look for the sealed artifacts together, right?"

Unexpectedly, Ankuya decisively refused.

"No. I've already said before, you're a nun from the Holy See, and many faculty and students from the academy will be watching the performance tonight. You know the relationship between the academy and the Holy See; now is not the right time. If you're expelled, how will we find the sealed artifact?"

“I, I,” Pepe said softly, “I can dress more discreetly and not wear any sun accessories. I’ve been working at the tavern for the past two months, and Grandpa Selvi has been paying me. I can buy my own ticket and go in; no one should notice.”

Pepe is a reserved and tactful girl. She feels grateful and indebted to both her boss and Ankuya. She almost never makes any requests on her own initiative. Even when she wants ice cream, she expresses her liking in a roundabout way. This is the first time she has been so direct.

“No.” Ankuya still refused.

"The Dean and the others might come. You're a clergyman; the mark of the sun can't be hidden from them. Promise me you'll stay obediently in the tavern tonight, okay?"

"Okay, I understand."

Peipei forced a smile and nodded, but there was an undeniable hint of disappointment in her eyes.

But then Ankuya said, "If you're interested in performing, how about I take you to see it now? There's a rehearsal this afternoon, and we can get the best seats. Plus, not many people from the academy will be there."

"Really?!"

A surprised exclamation echoed through the quiet museum, drawing the attention of all the visitors. Peipei, embarrassed, covered her mouth and buryed her head in the sand like an ostrich. "We need to hurry. Let the museum send a carriage to take us; the rehearsal should be starting soon."

"Aren't you going to eat? Aren't you hungry? Oh, ice cream cone—"

Pepe handed the ice cream cone to Ancua. The ice cream on it was almost gone, but the waffle inside was still there, and it was soaked in melted ice cream, making it look even tastier.

"My hands are clean, yes, that's a tradition of friendship, right?"

"The off-key notes have gone to Teyvat."

Quinn played the keys once, and could only say that it made a sound, but it was nowhere near as good as the grand piano in the academy, which looked like a replica of a Steinway.

But this piano is what one would expect from a piano that has been around for thirty or forty years. The one at the academy, in terms of both craftsmanship and tuning, is like a top-of-the-line product that has matured over hundreds of years of piano development. If Quinn were to collect the materials and build one himself, he probably wouldn't be able to create a better one.

The college piano is printed with the Cavendish family's iris totem, which almost certainly comes from that mysterious fortune teller's fellow villager. Is he also a pianist?
"Teyvat? Where is Teyvat?" Celia asked curiously from the side.

“It’s the homeland of the gods.” Quinn casually flicked his fingers and made room for him. “Never mind, it works too. Come on, I’ll show you the score.”

"Mr. Quinn is amazing! I just can't tell the pitch is off," Celia said, sitting on the piano bench in frustration, pressing the same key over and over again. "Is it wrong? It seems like there's a difference in tone."

Quinn took out a thick stack of sheet music from his briefcase.

"Wow! So many!" Celia exclaimed, stunned. "Do I have to go through all of these?"

"Okay." Quinn looked at her calmly. "This time, though, you have to study hard."

“How can someone like me, who can’t even understand the pitch, really play these pieces, teacher?” Celia sighed in frustration. “Mr. Quinn, aren’t you trusting me too much?”

“Actually, I couldn’t tell at first either. I could play, but I couldn’t tell if the pitch was off.” Quinn gave a wry smile. “The person who taught me piano was different. She was born with perfect pitch, which means she could keenly grasp the subtle differences between each pitch from a young age. This is a talent. People like this are born to play instruments and learn anything faster than ordinary people.”

"Just like the students at the academy?" Celia said with empathy, "They learn everything much faster than me."

"The piano, arcane arts, even military service, ruling a country, doing anything—there are always geniuses favored by heaven, people who are simply more suited to it than ordinary people—"

Upon hearing the phrase "rule a country," Celia's eyes trembled slightly, and she nearly dropped the ice cream in her hand.

Quinn continued slowly, "However, that doesn't mean one has to be a genius."

His arms reached over the girl, as if he were lying on top of her, and he began to play the piano—

Beautiful, wistful, and hopeful piano music drifted into her ears. Celia slowly opened her eyes, looked up in disbelief, and saw Quinn's encouraging gaze.

"Is this the piece Miss Peipei just played?!"

Celia felt that it sounded much better than Pepe's. If Pepe's playing was like a nursery rhyme that was hummed casually, then Quinn's playing was like a meticulously arranged piece of music, with every note perfectly placed, worthy of being performed on a grand stage.

"At first, I couldn't distinguish the pitch either, but now I can reproduce the whole song after just one listen."

Quinn placed a sheet music on the music stand, and at the same time, discreetly pulled out the sheet music for "Farewell" from the music and put it back in his suitcase.

"As I said before, playing the piano is about practicing how to play each note powerfully and clearly. Once you practice various pieces to improve your feel for it, you can master any technique or piece with just a little practice. As long as you put in the effort and sweat, you have the potential to succeed in anything you do."

Quinn gazed at the beautiful face so close to his, the corners of her warm lips still stained with the white of ice cream, and she looked quite moved.

"This is what I want to teach you. Whether it's the piano, arcane arts, or anything else, don't deny yourself first, but try your best to do it."

The girl's ears were slightly flushed. "Teacher," she said, "we're...too close."

"Shouldn't you be moved and say I'll try my best?" Quinn smiled, shook his head, and stood up. "Besides, you're the one who's always getting so close."

Having said that.

But Quinn was taken aback to find that, without realizing it, he had been subconsciously forgetting to keep his distance from Celia.
Is it because of the abyss?
Celia abruptly changed the subject: "Um... Mr. Quinn, why does Miss Pepe call you Staranchi? And why does she call Mr. Ankua Jacob?"

“Uh, nickname.” Quinn said casually, “It’s a name used in the Western Continent. It’s normal for different languages ​​to have similar names.”

"Your nickname?"

Celia muttered under her breath, "I told you during our first introduction that you could call me Celia, but you've never done it even once."

“We’re teacher and student, after all.” Quinn thought to himself, how could it be the same?

"But didn't you say I was your favorite student?"

Quinn sighed.

"Xiaoqian, that's enough."

"Don't be so reluctant. Here, have some ice cream."

"?"

Seeing that there was still more than half a cup of ice cream left, Quinn asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to eat any?"

"I'm not in a good position to eat too much ice today."

Quinn understood; his relatives had arrived.

"It's a tradition of friendship, right? Okay, I'll eat it."

Having been pricked by the boomerangs he and Aqua threw, Quinn had no choice but to pretend to take a bite of the ice cream under the girl's shy gaze.

Just as Quinn was finishing his ice cream cone, he heard a soft, delicate voice—

"It's not friendship."

"Ok?"

"No, it's nothing." Celia shook her head in a panic, her long hair scattering like dandelion seeds.

“Mr. Quinn, if I only take your classes for one semester, if I stop studying arcane magic in Grindelwald, can I still be your student?”

Behind Celia's back, which she couldn't see, Quinn smiled helplessly.

There's no such thing as this year anymore.

“Of course.” He patted the girl’s head. “It’s the same wherever you go. As long as you remember, I can teach you to play the piano for the rest of your life.”

As they spoke, intermittent piano music drifted from the side hall, accompanied by the man's gentle corrections and the girl's words, until dusk fell.

(End of this chapter)