"The commotion from last night's events is this big? The Church is conducting such a thorough search? No, it must be because I had previous contact with the Witch, which put me on the suspect list. But I'm not among the highest priority, otherwise someone would have come looking for me before this afternoon." Lucian didn't panic. He thought calmly and spoke his excuse in a steady voice: "Last night, in order to finish the final part of the piece, I stayed up very late, and it seems I overtaxed my energy. That's why I was so exhausted this morning I thought I was ill. But by noon I'd fully recovered — it was just overexertion."
There was no way Lucian would let Church people examine his physical condition.
Correa pressed further: "Can anyone verify what illness it was? If not, please come back with me to the Church for an examination."
"I just told you — it's simply fatigue from composing music, not an illness," Lucian replied, remaining calm.
Just then, Mr. Victor stepped forward and said: "Guard, I can testify that my student Lucian was indeed composing music last night, and that's what caused his exhaustion this morning. He produced an outstanding, truly magnificent piece. Whenever I complete a work I'm satisfied with, I always experience a deep, soulful fatigue."
Correa glanced at Mr. Victor. "And you are?"
"He's Mr. Victor, the musician — Lucian's teacher," Elena introduced, somewhat startled, while looking at Lucian with bewilderment. "He? Composing music? And receiving such high praise from Mr. Victor! Did Mr. Victor just say that to deal with the Church guard?"
Correa took out a feather pen and recorded something in a black ledger: "Mr. Victor, as Lucian's teacher, your testimony won't be fully accepted. Are there any other witnesses? If not, I'm afraid, Lucian, you'll need to come with me to the Church — not for a Tribunal interrogation, just to check on your physical condition."
Lucian looked outwardly calm, but his mind raced for ways to deflect. The room fell quiet.
"I can testify that he truly completed an outstanding work — a magnificent piece about fighting evil and struggling against hardship. When he was composing, he must have been burning his soul and all his passion."
"I am Baron Othello, Director of the Musicians' Association."
Othello had heard the commotion from inside his office and come out to vouch for Lucian. On one hand, though he disliked that kind of music, he acknowledged Lucian's musical talent and the effort he must have put in — what he'd said couldn't have been false. If Lucian hadn't shown any fatigue after completing a work, then Othello would have suspected him. On the other hand, Othello didn't want to disrupt the Victor concert he'd already begun looking forward to, and he needed to maintain the dignity of the Musicians' Association.
Correa gave a slight nod and recorded another line in his ledger: "Baron, with your testimony, I believe I can take my leave."
In truth, Correa himself absolutely didn't believe Lucian was the wanted "Professor." According to the Tribunal's records, when Lucian had been interrogated three months ago, he was still an ordinary person, while the mysterious "Professor" was a powerful mage of at least the Third Circle. It was absolutely impossible for him to have grown to that level in just three months — even selling his soul to a demon couldn't achieve that!
Both the Tribunal and the Bishop had reached the same conclusion, which was why Lucian hadn't been placed on the list during the first round of screening that morning. It wasn't until the afternoon, when Correa noticed Lucian's very minor suspicion, that the idea of bringing him in and making him suffer a little crossed his mind — this was Gary's doing, aimed at destroying the hopes of any aspiring knights.
Now that a Baron had vouched for him, Correa wouldn't push the matter. Offending a noble would be troublesome for someone like him who hadn't yet become a member of the Holy Temple or any of the knight orders.
Watching Correa turn and leave, Lucian finally breathed a sigh of relief. If his body had been examined, his injuries would have been discovered immediately rather than any illness or exhaustion. Fortunately, he had the testimony of Baron Othello and Mr. Victor. The whole affair with the Fate Symphony — this was where he'd gained the most.
"Now go prepare the piece and practice — my standards are very exacting." Othello nodded, turned, and headed back into his office, closing the door behind him.
Elena, her beautiful green eyes wide and luminous, studied Lucian as though he were a stranger. "I didn't mishear that, did I? Director Othello actually said Lucian wrote an outstanding work?!"
With Mr. Victor present, she didn't dare ask Lucian directly. But her curiosity was like a lively rabbit, leaping restlessly inside her, making her reluctant to leave and go back down to the main hall on the first floor.
Correa's arrival had stirred up the entire third floor. Wolf, spotting Mr. Victor at Director Othello's doorway from a distance, walked over with puzzlement: "What just happened? Victor, why are you here?"
"I don't know — anyway, it's fine now." Mr. Victor shook his head. "I came here to ask Director Othello about changing the program."
They would be practicing here every day after this, and even if they didn't let others listen in, the orchestra members wouldn't keep it secret, so Mr. Victor had simply said it outright.