"Impressive." The virtual Aventurine applauded as he spoke:
"No wonder the Tavern invited you."
"You're a born actor. You're not just good at deceiving others; you're even better at deceiving yourself."
Aventurine smiled faintly.
"If you don't want others to see through you, the cleverest thing to do is fool yourself first."
The virtual Aventurine smiled too.
"Heh. Of course."
"I know you too well... But I don't need to tell you how much energy those two things consume, do I?"
"This place has long been cut off from the outside world."
"How long do you think you can keep standing with their help?"
"..."
"How strange. Why did you turn down the Tavern's invitation? You had a chance to embrace Elation. Wasn't that what you wanted most?"
"But you still chose the company's table, and here you stand..."
"You... did it for Preservation?"
The virtual Aventurine shook his head repeatedly.
"Tsk, tsk. Doesn't look that way to me."
"What do you have to do with Preservation?"
Aventurine looked troubled too.
"I thought you knew... Don't you understand me so well?"
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"Enough. Either shut your mouth or get out of my sight."
"Heh. No problem." The virtual Aventurine gave him a sly look.
"But who's really about to disappear from this place?"
Aventurine shrugged.
"Not me."
Once that nuisance vanished for the moment, Aventurine gathered himself and continued exploring the so-called Grand Theater.
A long corridor laid with a red carpet stretched ahead like an avenue prepared to welcome him.
Gradually, white words appeared before his eyes, drifting past like comments across a screen.
[After suffering among the rocks...]
[Cries and wails...]
[Prisons, palaces, and spring thunder...]
The deeper Aventurine ventured, the more words appeared before him.
But under the protection of the red-and-white bird,