Olivia-san, who was the opening act for the hidden talent competition, earned a perfect score. And that was more than understandable, her sculpture was truly incredible.
It wasn’t just technically well-made; it felt like it had a soul. Looking at it brought a warm, happy feeling. The piece depicted Shiro-san and me holding hands, likely referencing the scene during Hydra Kingdom’s Founding Festival.
There were some differences, like Shiro-san wearing her usual outfit instead of what she wore back then, but the sculpture radiated a sense of closeness between us. It evoked memories of that time I went on a date with Shiro-san.
You could say it was a work that resonated with the heart, that’s probably why even Shiro-san was full of praise for it.
“Now then, let’s get some comments from the judges…… Since this is the first act, and we need to fill a bit of time, we’ll hear from everyone. After this, we’ll be asking for comments more selectively…… So, let’s start with Chronois-san, what did you think?”
“I felt it was a truly magnificent piece. Even someone like me, who isn’t very knowledgeable about art, could understand its brilliance. I was especially moved by the sculpture of Shallow Vernal-sama, which seemed to radiate a sense of divinity.”
“I’m honored by your praise.”
Chronois-san also gave Olivia-san’s sculpture glowing praise. In response, Olivia-san simply gave a quiet bow and expressed her thanks.
“I see. Next, Kuro-san, your thoughts?”
“Thank you for the kind words.”
Kuro, the next to speak, was also full of admiration, clearly impressed. Olivia-san, on the other hand, remained as calm and composed as ever, giving her usual polite bow and expression of gratitude.
“Alright, moving on, Lilia-san?”
“I’ve also seen a fair number of artworks, but I’ve never encountered a piece of this caliber. This is art that can only be created by someone who has reached the pinnacle of a specific field. That’s the impression I got.”
“Thank you very much.”
Like Chronois-san and Kuro, Lilia-san also praised the sculpture highly. And once again, Olivia-san responded without showing much emotion, simply thanking her in a composed manner.
You could say she was in her Founder Mode, unfazed by the compliments, accepting them with quiet composure.
“Lastly, Canalis-san, please share your thoughts.”
“Tahaa~~ Well, let’s see. As Kuromueina-san mentioned, this sculpture isn’t something that can be accomplished with skill alone. I felt that it was born from Olivia-san’s unwavering pursuit of an ideal, of a vision she wanted to express. That’s what gave the piece its soul. Truly, I feel privileged to witness something this incredible right at the start.”
“I’m grateful for the high praise.”
As expected, Canalis-san also gave her praise with an expressionless face. Olivia-san, in turn, remained just as expressionless, quietly bowing in acknowledgment.
And since Alice had said at the beginning that all the judges would be giving comments, it naturally meant that I was up next…… Just as I was thinking that, Ein-san smoothly handed me a Loudspeaker Magic Tool, which I accepted.
“Now then, lastly, Kaito-san, what did you think?”
“Ah, errr, I honestly thought it was amazing. Not just the process of creating it, but the final piece itself gave off a feeling of happiness when I looked at it. It was surprising to find out that Olivia-san had such a hidden talent, and the whole thing was just filled with wonder and emotion, even though it was made in such a short time. Olivia-san, thank you for showing us such an incredible performance.”
“To receive such high praise from Miyama Kaito-sama, I am truly honored and feel a joy beyond what I deserve. Of course, when compared to the real Miyama Kaito-sama and Shallow Vernal-sama, my sculpture falls many levels short, but even so, I did my utmost to faithfully recreate the noble forms of you both within the limits of sculpture. If it brought even a moment of enjoyment to you, I am deeply happy. If anything, I should be the one expressing my heartfelt gratitude for being given this opportunity.”
“……Her reaction’s completely different from when she was listening to us.”
When Olivia-san heard my comment, her eyes lit up and her face visibly brightened with emotion as she replied. Watching that, Kuro let out a wry smile, making a remark much like the one she’d said back at Kaori-san’s shop.
<Afterword>
~ ~ Easy-to-understand summary of today’s events ~ ~
Chronois, Kuro, Lilia, and Canalis’ comments -> Olivia : [ ( ╹‐╹ )→(* . .)⁾⁾ polite bow ]
Kaito’s comment -> Olivia : [ ✧*。(ˊᗜˋ*)✧*。→゜・*:.。..。.:*・'(*゜▽゜*)’・*:.。. .。.:*・。]
