Who hid My Corpse!

She looked at the fire before her and could not help but think about the blaze she had set in the Seed District yesterday.

What burned was her once "home."

Hardock, those two Players, and her aunt, who had unwittingly been caught up in the Spell and had died a humiliating death in a sack, all vanished in the sea of flames, devoured completely by the fire.

As she watched the flames rage, Hewinia felt somewhat dazed.

She had burned away her own past.

But would she gain a future from this?

It seemed not.

So what was it all for?

Hewinia's eyelids drooped bit by bit, with fatigue and sleepiness washing over her like a tide.

It was in this trance that she heard someone asking in her heart again.

"What is it really for?"

That voice, it sounded like her own.

And like... someone else.

"Tell me, Nia," the person asked, "what do you really want to do?"

"I... what do I want to do?"

"Yes, tell me, Nia." the person said gently, "Tell me what you want to do."

The fire before her grew blurrier, and those eyes that could see through everything could now barely make out the flames, much like Hewinia's spirit.

"I, I..."

She whispered softly, as if about to fall into an endless dream.

Just then, a crisp female voice suddenly rang out, abruptly waking Hewinia from her half-awake trance.

"Ah! I got it, I got it!"

Hewinia instinctively lifted her head and saw a young girl vigorously shaking a piece of paper in her hand, excited like a rabbit waving a carrot.

"What did you receive?" her companion immediately asked with concern.

The young girl struggled to suppress the joy in her heart, but obviously without much success, as the corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably.

But she wasn't foolish enough to openly declare it under everyone's gaze; instead, she pulled two companions aside, found a spot in the lobby to sit down with an air of personal privacy not to be encroached upon by outsiders.

Yet her attempt to "lower" her voice still made it perfectly clear to everyone in the lobby, including Hewinia, who was a little distance away from them.

"It's young master Watson, I've received an invitation from young master Watson!" the girl said excitedly.

"Young master Watson?" her companion immediately widened her eyes, "You mean..."

"Yes, that young master Watson!" the girl spread out the paper to show her companions, displaying a family crest, "He has invited me to join his Orchestra!"

At these words, the expressions of the girl's two companions changed instantly.

One of them immediately grabbed the paper, examined it closely, and exclaimed in amazement, "It really is from young master Watson. The Watson family's Orchestra is probably aiming for the Inner Song, right?"

"No, not aiming!" the girl corrected immediately, "They've never missed the Inner Song!"

Hewinia silently listened.

She naturally knew what the Inner Song meant.

Simply put, the Festival is a musical celebration presented to the Holy Sound Master, but not all orchestras or pieces are eligible to be performed for the Holy Sound Master.

After all, the Holy Sound Master's time is not unlimited.

Therefore, the number of works that can be presented to the Holy Sound Master at the Festival is limited and fixed. These works that can be presented to the Holy Sound Master are known as Inner Songs. Those that cannot be presented serve to fill the numbers, enliven the atmosphere at the Festival, and are termed as Outer Songs.

The reason the Festival is known as the most important day for Holy Sound is because many people participate, many of whom belong to the Outer Song orchestras, possibly numbering up to a thousand.

But the number of Inner Songs is fixed, necessitating competition among the orchestras.

However, this competition did not greatly involve Hewinia; the Golden Note would always be part of the Inner Song, belonging to the tip of the pyramid. Even if she did not join Lawrence's Orchestra and randomly assembled a few Players, she could still enter among the Inner Songs.

Thus, the competition between Inner and Outer Songs was mostly among the "mediocre" Players, as the world did not have so many Golden Notes, and most of them liked to band together in orchestras.

This provides numerous Silver Sound Players with an opportunity, a chance to change their destiny.

Because being able to perform for the "Lord" is the greatest achievement for an ordinary Player.

"How nice," a girl's companion immediately showed an envious expression, "Amiya, it looks like you could move to the Upper City after the festival is over."

Amiya giggled but did not deny it.

"I heard that in the Holy Sound, as long as one enters the Lord's gaze, no matter their background, they will have a bright future."

At that moment, Bai Wei's voice slowly resounded in Hewinia's mind.

"So I was wondering, is this so-called festival just a bunch of people in the dark desperately climbing towards that last bit of light?"

Bai Wei's sudden speech made Hewinia momentarily stunned.

In the Holy Sound, everyone regarded the festival as the Lord's grace because as long as the Lord hears one's voice, everything will get better.

However, when Bai Wei spoke, Hewinia felt it sounded less like "grace" and more like... charity.

Then, after a brief silence, Hewinia asked, "Mr. Visas, do you understand the Holy Sound Master?"

"I've had a little interaction with Him."

Hewinia subconsciously asked, "What kind of interaction?"

"He has divided my corpse."

Hewinia: "..."

Bai Wei smiled and said, "Do you want to ask me about my views on the Holy Sound Master?"

"If you're willing to answer," Hewinia cautiously said, speaking of Divine matters was sensitive.

"There's nothing I'm unwilling to share," Bai Wei spoke with a relaxed tone, as if discussing Divine matters was nothing special, as casual as evaluating an ordinary person. "If you ask me, I think it's arrogance."

"...Arrogance?"

"Yes, this so-called festival held every twenty years, at the end of the day, is just singing to sell to Him," Bai Wei said indifferently, "Whether you are male or female, born humble or noble, you have to use every trick to please Him. When viewed like this, isn't that arrogance?"

Hewinia once again fell into silence.

Bai Wei's words could be considered the greatest blasphemy anywhere, but she could find no reason to refute him.

But then again, she didn't need to refute him.

"However, what does the arrogance of the gods bring to people?" Bai Wei lightly added another line.

Hewinia frowned; just as she was about to ask, her gaze once again flitted towards the group of three.

The girl named Amiya was holding a cup of hot tea, sipping it bit by bit, the excitement still evident on her face.

And a companion sighed beside her: "I'm really jealous, you've already secured your note position in the Inner Song, and I don't know how many people are eyeing your spot."

"At least a hundred," another companion said solemnly, "Amiya is the Fifth Silver Note, and there are at least a hundred of Fifth Silver Notes across the three schools."

"But they're not as good as me!" Amiya said with a smile, "I am the best among them, otherwise why would Mr. Watson approach me?"

Saying this, Amiya drained her cup of tea and then stood up.

"Of course, I won't just stop here; before the festival officially starts, I will keep honing my tone!" Amiya shook her fist. "I won't let anyone have the chance to push me down! Absolutely not!"

"I want to be the note of the Inner Song!"

"Then I want to enter the Upper City!"

"I want to have a different life!"

"No one can stop me..." Amiya's voice gradually softened, "No one can."

"I'm so tired of the old days."

"I don't want to become a breeding tool."

"Me, me, me..."

"Alright, alright," her companion waved her off, "We know you don't want to go back, you don't need to keep telling us, we haven't settled it yet; if you keep this up, we may turn on you. Go away now."

Amiya did not move.

Her two companions instinctively raised their heads.

Then, seeing Amiya's dazed expression, her eyes vacant, just as they felt puzzled and were about to inquire, black blood suddenly flowed from Amiya's eyes and nose.

Then she collapsed with a thump.

"Amiya!"