Trails with Cuddle-Cuddle Osbon
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Helen
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 047 – Fufufu, son. It’s the June Field Study⑤ [B]
Rean spoke up on behalf of the group.
Instantly, Elliot reacted and his body shook.
Machias seemed uncomfortable and Fie didn’t seem to know what to say.
Sara sipped on her clam chowder and took a slight breath before reporting what had happened.
It was around the time that they had finished reinvestigating the scene of Rean and Rutger’s fight.
There was still some time before lunch, so Group B, who had come to help out at the church, decided to use the afternoon to procure wood, and each member of the group then volunteered doing odd jobs around town.
While Machias was helping with organizing the documents, Fie was selecting preserved foods and edible grass, and Sara was having a meeting with the parish priest, Elliot was in charge of looking after the children.
After the children had saved him from the troubles of last month’s field study, Elliot had volunteered to look after them.
While they were waiting for lunch, Elliot naturally started to perform his own music to the group of children under the age of ten, but……
[“——What was that?”]
[“——It doesn’t fill my stomach, can I have something else?”]
[“——So noisy, shut up!”]
[“——Is it fun to do such useless things?”]
There were many other reasons, but what seemed to be the biggest shock to Elliot was that the power of music, which Elliot believed in and which had saved him, was being treated as something meaningless and even harmful.
Sara noticed Elliot’s mental turmoil and burst in, giving the children some candies she had prepared, which calmed them down completely……but it seemed like she was concerned that Elliot would soon reach a breaking point, so she returned immediately after letting him finish helping out.
“I misunderstood.”
After Sara had finished telling the story, the silence that fell over the room was broken by Elliot.
But it was definitely not a positive thing.
“I believed that music had great power and could lift spirits…… but in a place where people are struggling to survive, music is not necessary. It is instead, a total waste……”
“There’s no way it’s useless.”
“Music doesn’t fill one’s stomach. This is the truth, an absolute truth. It might have soothed my wounds, but it couldn’t ease the hunger of the poor.”
Elliot was completely depressed and seemed like he would continue to be like this, only giving vague responses under Machias and Fie’s encouragement.
He was burdened with a deep sense of regret that bordered on self-loathing.
Machias also had many worries about what he could do for North Ambria, but Elliot was almost at his wit’s end because even something as familiar as music to him had no impact on others.
While everyone was hesitant to speak, Rean spoke up.
“Elliot, can you please demonstrate the song you played?”
“Rean?”
“Valerie, I’ll be happy if you can give your honest feedback to that. Once that is done, I won’t stop you from leaving anymore. Can you help me out for one last time?”
Rean bowed to Valerie, who was sitting next to him.
It wasn’t like the vague hunch he had mentioned earlier, and Valerie could feel his genuine care towards Elliot.
The disparity in his behavior made Valerie stop stroking Celine, and after thinking for a while, she agreed, saying, “It’s really for the last time, okay.”
“Thank you,” replied Rean in a serious voice, and she turned away quietly in response.
“Elliot, this Valerie girl is also from North Ambria. It’s possible that the genre of music isn’t well received in the area, so could you try playing it again?”
“But I……”
“I can’t say that I can understand that feeling easily…… but maybe those children just happened to be uncomfortable with that particular genre of music, right? It’s too early to judge the whole picture based on just a few samples.”
“…………That can’t be right.”
“Well, well, just consider it as cleansing our palate after the meal. Let us enjoy the ‘waste’ in life, which the poor children had no leisure to enjoy.”
Rean deliberately said that to Elliot in a cynical manner.
Machias and Fie must have tried to comfort Elliot. But since it didn’t work, Rean decided to do the opposite.
If Elliot really loved music, the “frustration” that Elliot was feeling at the moment was essential to his improvement.
If he gave up because some people rejected him, then that was just the extent of importance of music for Elliot.
Although Rean said this implyingly, Elliot looked at him with reproach but quickly picked up his violin.
There was nothing strange about the melody he played.
Rean himself had learned lute from Teo, so he had the aptitude to play simple songs and was able to give his opinion on the melody.
But since he was still an amateur, he was unable to express in detail the differences between professional and amateur music.
However, Rean had someone who could make up for that.
[“Fumu, his emotions have gotten a little ahead of him and his technique has become a bit off…… but that’s exactly why he could convey his feelings so clearly. It’s a bit crude, but I think I can see into Elliot’s raging heart.”]
Osbon, who had a keen sense of intuition, expressed his thoughts, and Rean thought of the following.
This isn’t the usual Elliot, after all…… That time, the song he played at the church in Trista was more…… He seemed to be having a lot of fun playing it back then.
Elliot looked like he was in pain playing the music.
Although it was a drastic measure, Rean thought that it might have been a mistake to force him to play, and asked Valerie, who was sitting next to him, for her opinion.
“How does it sound for you, Valerie?”
“I could tell that he was suffering because he loves music. And I also see that he feels music is not good enough with just love.”
“Do you also play music……?”
“Yes, it is considered a ‘waste’ in North Ambria, but I enjoyed it. That’s why I think it is a pity.”
“A pity……?”
Valerie nodded in response to Machias’s mutterings.
“Instead of staying here, I think you should have gone to a more specialized school and studied music.”
Valerie’s frank words choked up Elliot.
Machias tried to argue against that, but Fie stopped him.
“Fie-kun, why?!”
“That is just her impression. It’s wrong for Machias to complain about it.”
“But Elliot seems to be in denial……”
Fie silently shook her head as Machias continued to approach.
Sara and Toval seemed to agree and didn’t stop Fie.
Rather than comforting Elliot or blaming Valerie, Rean chose a third option.
“Valerie, do you have any advice on Elliot’s current song?”
“It’s not really advice. It’s just what I would do if it were me……”
“That’s fine as well. Elliot, why don’t you ask Valerie to arrange it for you? Maybe it will have more of North Ambria’s ambience.”
“It’s not something so great.”
Valerie stared at Elliot.
It meant that Rean’s suggestion wasn’t something she rejected and didn’t mind doing.
Elliot thought about it for a moment then nodded.
“Then, could you please lend me the table for a bit? I have a few things I want to write……”
At Valerie’s remark, the pots and plates were removed and Rean took out a notebook and pen and she began drawing out simple musical notation.
Valerie then composed an outline based on the music Elliot had used. Her movements were so smooth that everyone, even Elliot, paid attention to her work and started watching.
“…………It’s done.”
“Amazing, in such a short time……”
Unable to wait any longer, Elliot memorized the arranged sheet music and played it.
In contrast to his early struggle, Elliot’s face now showed him enjoying this unknown sensation, and his greatest charm – his enjoyment of music – came to the forefront.
After finishing his performance, Elliot took a breath.
With his eyes closed, he lowered his arms lazily as if he was in deep thought.
Not wanting to disturb the moment, everyone watched Elliot in silence.
“…………I was such an easy person. I was in so much pain earlier, but now I realize that my hands are light when playing the string.”
“That just shows how much Elliot loves music.”
“No, like that girl…… Valerie-chan said, it’s an impossible path to follow out of just love. But still…… as I got to play a melody I can’t write, I got even more absorbed in it.”
“Isn’t that nice? Being so absorbed in something you love and worrying about it is a very healthy thing. After all, you wouldn’t worry so much if it is something you don’t care about.”
Toval nodded at Sara’s words.
Toval didn’t understand much about music, but he could say that the music he heard just now was more pleasant to hear, compared to what Elliot had been playing previously.
“It must be a shock for you that the kids didn’t accept music. But that is all for now. Just like how Elliot is feeling right now, the result isn’t necessarily the same for the second and third time.”
“Well, I understand that filling one’s stomach is more important. But that’s a problem that comes before music, so to them, enjoying music doesn’t even matter, so why don’t you try a different approach?”
“A different approach?”
Elliot responded to Fie’s words.
Toval then gave his follow-up.
“Let’s see, it’s not like it will be on the scale like the Azure Diva, but sometimes professional musicians donate the money they earn from concerts to charity. They call it a charity concert. If they knew that they could fill their stomachs with money earned through such a way, it would create the foundation for enjoying music that Fie was talking about.” 1
“A different approach……”
Elliot soon lost himself in thought, and Sara clapped her hands to gather everyone’s attention.
“Well then, we could continue with solving Elliot’s problem…… but then we wouldn’t be able to accommodate the tasks due in the afternoon. Let’s stop here for now.”
“Instructor Sara, I will help out as well.”
“You are still……”
“I can help carry wood using Loa Valimar without having to move my body. Besides, we can get more wood that way, right?”
“I’m telling you not to walk around. That said, I guess I can’t insist on that…… okay, Rean. You will be back on duty in the afternoon. However, you must not move around on your own. If you break that rule, I’ll forcefully send you back to Trista.”
“That’s scary. I understand. Fine then.”
“Okay then. Also, Toval, please take Valerie-chan back home.”
“Roger. That could be regarded as my thanks to you for being treated to such a delicious lunch.”
As everyone rushed to prepare for the afternoon, Valerie spoke to Rean.
“Rean……-san seems to be not just a troublesome person, but a busybody who is troublesome.”
“So the title of being troublesome can’t be removed.”
“You are a troublesome person, after all.”
Although her tone was cynical, Valerie’s words were gentle.
It was as if she was saying “it can’t be helped” in exasperation.
“Valerie, too, is also a caring person, despite your attitude. You accepted my request and even arranged a music score that wasn’t included for your repayment of gratitude since I only asked for your impression.”
“……I’ll add being a mean person as another of your titles.”
“Yes, I’m a mean person. But thank you for encouraging Elliot. We certainly couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I just had interest.”
“In music?”
“Yes. Have you heard of Northern Rock?”
“Rock……”
[“Fufufu, son. It’s the nickname of a type of rock music that’s popular in the north western part of Zemuria.”]
“I’ve never heard an actual song, but I know about it. It’s a genre of music, right?”
“Yes. Surprisingly, Elliot-san, was it? I think he’ll like it too.”
“I’ll tell him about it…… wait, I think it would be better if you tell him about it. Oi~ Elliot, Valerie is about to leave, so why don’t you say something to her?”
“Ah, sorry. I was so engrossed in the sheet music earlier……”
“No, if you like it that much, it’s fine too.”
Wanting to talk more about music, Elliot continued talking with Valerie until the last minute before the afternoon request.
By the time she left, Elliot’s face seemed to have brightened a little from its initial gloominess.
Seeing Elliot’s state, Rean and the others exchanged relieved looks and headed off to their afternoon tasks.
Author Note:
It’s Elliot’s time in the limelight and Valerie really stands out in this episode.
Maya is supposed to be my favorite among the branch school members, but in this case, the fact that Valerie was from North Ambria was a winning combination.
As the story progresses, I will reveal a lot about her, so she will inevitably stand out like the main characters…
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