Menagerie of Lights Event Story 1: Decision to Compete
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards: None
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Gallery Owner: Young lady, all the works in the Rembrandt exhibition are priceless and authentic. Your request is just...
You: But he really is a very important friend of mine.
You: Just like you, his most respected painter is Rembrandt.
You recently found out that Marius' birthday is on June 21.
You have come to the classical art gallery in Stellis to prepare a birthday surprise for Marius. The gallery will be holding a Rembrandt exhibition soon.
As a public figure, if Marius suddenly shows up in an art exhibition, people will gather around him and things may get out of hand.
So, it is a good idea to let him enjoy the works of his favorite painter without distractions.
After a long and sincere talk, the owner finally agrees to let you rent the venue before the exhibition starts.
Gallery Owner: Please be careful. Don't touch or break anything.
You: Don't worry. I will be careful.
After confirming the venue, you open your notebook to check on the other things that need to be prepared.
You: For the cake... I think I'll order a mousse cake with purple yam. But what kind of present should I get for him?
You: A watch, a belt, or a tie? Marius certainly doesn't lack any of these things.
As you log into the shopping app, the featured item in the gifts section catches your attention.
You: Are these... puzzle blocks?
The product image shows a miniature metropolis assembled out of hundreds of blocks.
You're suddenly reminded of something that happened at the von Hagen estate...
Three days ago.
Marius: Watch out!
Gift boxes of different sizes fill the von Hagen estate. You nearly trip over one. Luckily, Marius catches you in time.
Marius: You're so clumsy, Miss.
You: Hey, you just have too many gifts around here.
You: Tell me: is your birthday coming up? Is that why you've been bombarded by gifts?
Marius: Looks like there's no hiding anything from you.
Marius: My birthday is still several weeks away, but those people just can't wait.
You: "Those people"...?
Marius: Business contacts, family friends and celebrities. A lot of people want to please the von Hagen family.
You: (That's Marius for you. His birthday catches the interest of everyone in Stellis.)
Marius giggles as he guesses what you are thinking.
Marius: So... you'll give me a present too, won't you?
You: Marius... you're not exactly short on presents, are you?
Marius: Well, yeah, of course I have tons of presents from other people.
Marius: But from you...
You: Ahem.
You pretend to cough after receiving Marius' hint. You turn around and catch sight of the thing that tripped you over earlier.
It's a nicely wrapped puzzle block set with futuristic buildings on the cover. The words "Limited Edition" are clearly visible.
You: I didn't know you were into puzzle blocks.
Puzzle blocks are a type of building block toy which was invented by the Osten family. They've been a global hit since their release, and currently have almost a hundred years of history.
A toy like this would not be here if it didn't match Marius' interests.
Marius: I used to be. I guess someone must've remembered that old hobby of mine. However, I haven't built anything for a long time.
You: Why?
Marius hesitates. There is a hint of distress in his clear eyes.
Block-building Room
You: Did you... put all these together?
Marius takes you to a room on the second floor of the von Hagen estate. It's filled with countless sets of block models.
There's everything from colorful gardens to foreign streets, and even a scale model of Stellis University.
You: Amazing! It must've taken you a long time to build all these!
You: You're really good at this, so why did you stop?
Marius: Because...
Marius walks over to the windows and falls into a brief silence.
The sun's golden rays fall softly upon his profile, casting a dappled pattern of light and shadow.
Marius: In a way, I can't keep building things out of blocks anymore.
You: (What...)
You: (What does that mean...)
Marius: My mother passed away when I was born.
Marius talks slowly in a low voice. Suddenly, you regret asking him that question.
You: Don't force yourself if you don't want to talk about it.
You: Everyone has secrets.
Marius: It's okay. There are no secrets when I'm with you.
Marius' tone of voice is indescribably soft and gentle, but you feel a twinge of pain in your chest.
Marius: Although I lost my mother, my father and my brother love me very much.
Marius: I've never lacked anything, compared to other people. In fact, I possess much more.
Marius: But then, one day I realized something. When I paint, and when I build things out of these blocks, I'm always unable to create anything related to the theme of "home."
You: (How could that be...)
You: (Now that he's mentioned it, it's true that Z doesn't have any works of art related to the theme of "home.")
Marius: Are you feeling sorry for me?
Marius: I guess not being able to create "home" in art isn't so bad after all. At least it makes you feel for me.
You: ...
You: Marius von Hagen!
You pretend to look angry, but Marius' joke has lightened the atmosphere instantly.
Marius: Come on now. Don't be upset.
Marius: Later on, I thought that maybe I'm unable to create something about "home" because I've never had a female figure in my childhood.
Marius: If...
You: If what?
Marius: Ehem... Nothing.
You: ...
Your Residence
In order to find the right set of blocks, you research the subject extensively on the Internet.
A news title catches your attention. It reads, "The first block-building contest of Stellis City is fast approaching!"
You: The "Future" series is the legacy of Mr. Osten, the inventor of puzzle blocks. This series will be released for the first time, and there's only one set in the entire world.
You: A forest hut, a floral greenhouse, and an open-air art studio facing the mountains. This prize is... "The Future Home"?
You: (Looks like Marius will like this set of blocks.)
You can't help thinking about joining the contest. Then, you are stunned by the next piece of news.
You: Z will be judging for the contest. Many fans have signed up... The "Shepherd Girl" may be the topic of the event.
You: (Marius is going!?)
The main theme of the contest is Recomposition of Global Art, which means to recreate famous paintings with building blocks.
Z's paintings are very famous. It is not impossible that they could become the topic of the contest.
You: (If he really is judging for the contest, he'll find out if I join. Then I won't be able to surprise him.)
But is Marius really going to show up as Z?
Although it may just be a story created by the organizer to grab attention, you decide to call Marius to find out, just in case.
Marius: Hello?
You: Uh, it's me.
Marius: What's up? Are you in trouble?
You: No. Have you heard about the building blocks contest next month? I heard that "Z" will be a judge in it.
Marius: That's just a rumor. The organizers probably leaked the fake story to get attention.
Marius: Why are you suddenly asking me this...? Are you going to sign up? I can give you free lessons.
You: (If Marius is not going, then having him coach me is indeed the most efficient way to get started.)
You: Really?
Marius: Of course. I always have time for you. And from now on... Z will probably fade out slowly.
You: !?
You: Is it because of Pax?
You voice your suspicion. On the other end of the phone, Marius lets out a soft sigh.
Marius: Yeah. Juggling between Pax and study has taken up too much of my time.
Marius: And my life will only get more and more complicated after I graduate.
Marius: For an artist, an environment like that can be fatal to creativity, so...
The fatigue in Marius' tone is evident.
You: Marius, if you're tired, you can stop and take a break.
Marius: ...I understand.
Marius: But I'm afraid no one will give me time to rest.
Marius: Before becoming Z, I was already Marius von Hagen of Pax.
After you hang up, Marius' words still linger in your mind.
You: So many people are fans of Z, can he really give up so easily?
You: Yeah! There'll be many fans of Z participating in the block-building contest.
You: Why don't I record the things they want to say to Z and give it to Marius!
You: Even if he won't be able to continue creating art, words of encouragement from his fans can be a nice memento.
That night, you submit the application form for the contest and sent the interview request to the organizer.
After your application is approved, a list of contestants and their contact details, is sent to your email.
You: (Now I'll practice block-building and collect people's encouragement for Z in interviews.)
Summary
Character(s)
