/
Chapter 96: Listeners Are The Mirror Of A Streamer
(… I just came out impulsively, but the atmosphere is so tense.)
Due to the rather flashy entrance, the church square, buzzing with excitement about Haishin just moments ago, fell into an eerie silence.
Kanata felt completely out of place, and even though sweat was dripping under the mask, thanks to Mira and Anise standing by his side, he managed to maintain his composure.
(Haha, even Maria and Alphana are incredibly surprised.)
Even the girls who knew Kanata were wide-eyed with astonishment.
To be honest, Kanata had come out only because he was worried about them and had no other thoughts about what to do.
“Mira.”
“Yes.”
As Kanata called Mira’s name, she replied softly and vanished into thin air.
She moved to where Maria and Alphana were, ensuring their protection in an already heavily guarded location should anything happen.
“I’m so glad. You’re entrusting me with being by your side?”
“I trust your abilities. I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah!”
With her eyes concealed, Anise’s expression was hard to read, but Kanata could tell that her cheeks had loosened up.
Kanata turned his gaze back to Maria and Alphana, giving them a firm thumbs-up.
“It’s Haishin-sama!!”
“Whoaahhhh!!”
“Kyaaahhhh!”
Finally, it seemed like the crowd was beginning to accept the situation as they raised their voices toward Kanata.
Most of those voices were undoubtedly favourable towards Kanata, but there was also a noticeable undercurrent of malice, evident in how Anise prepared to unleash her magic.
(To some of the nobles, I must be an annoying presence. Even now, I occasionally receive threatening letters… But I couldn’t just stand idly by.)
Kanata had only one purpose: not to let anyone ruin the stage the girls had prepared with trivial matters during the Harvest Festival.
Of course, with Kanata appearing as Haishin, various plans were bound to be disrupted. Nevertheless, believing that his voice could reach them, Kanata spoke up.
“Everyone, please quiet down.”
Kanata’s words reached them.
Although he didn’t raise his voice or shout, the church square fell silent in an instant.
It wasn’t absolute silence, but it was enough for Kanata’s voice to be heard.
“Thank you, everyone, for always listening to my streams. I’m just speaking my mind, but I’ve been able to continue all this time because of the listeners who look forward to my streams.”
For the one streaming, having no viewers makes it rather dull. The listeners drive Kanata to continue his streams, and it’s precisely because he wants them to enjoy it that he’s been able to keep going.
“… Seriously, every day is enjoyable. No joke.”
Those were Kanata’s heartfelt words, directed at himself and the many listeners who were probably present.
“However…”
Despite that, something needed to be addressed seriously, and under his mask, Kanata’s expression turned stern.
Though this change in expression might not have been evident to others, the crowd seemed to sense that the atmosphere had shifted.
“Because all of you, who enjoy my streams and are happy to see me appear, are my fans… That’s precisely why I didn’t want to trouble others like I am doing now.”
The words likely rippled through the crowd.
Still, Kanata couldn’t express it too strongly, as he understood that he, as an individual, was causing the most trouble.
However, it was also Haishin’s duty to manage his listeners.
“To me, all of you are not just fans; we spend time together during the streams, and in a sense, it’s like being a family… Maybe not to the extent of being extremely close, but still, there’s a certain intimacy.”
In Kanata’s previous world, one of the reasons people had strong feelings toward streamers was likely the sense of closeness.
Unlike primarily recorded content like TV, a sense of unity arose from carefully reading the comment section.
(… It’s the same for me now.)
Analyzing the earlier words directed at Maria and Alphana, it was evident there was some jealousy about how they had encountered Haishin, who was shrouded in mystery.
“Listeners are like mirrors reflecting Haishin, so I take responsibility for causing all this commotion. I apologize to those who put in effort for this Harvest Festival.”
Saying this, Kanata bowed his head.
As mentioned earlier, Kanata understood that he was involved in causing this commotion, but it wasn’t him who made all the fuss; it was the people.
Seeing Kanata bowing his head, it was those who made the uproar towards Maria and Alphana, feeling uncomfortable.
“I came out here to bring this commotion to an end. Initially, I wanted to do something like Haishin to entertain everyone, including handling the situation, but as I said earlier, this Harvest Festival is the result of the efforts of many people. That’s why we should genuinely enjoy this Harvest Festival now.”
Kanata was not an experienced adult who knew exactly what words to convey, but his words resonated deeply with the crowd.
Perhaps because they usually enjoyed listening to his streams, Kanata’s voice easily reached them.
“Although I can’t announce it in a grand manner just yet, I plan to organize a significant event to repay all of you in the future. That’s why I promise to meet all of you again at that time.”
Kanata couldn’t help but smile inwardly, thinking he sounded quite theatrical.
He gestured and moved like he was giving a speech, reminding him of a character from an anime he had seen in his past life. Unfortunately, he couldn’t be as verbose as that character, and it was frustrating.
“I love all of my listeners. That’s why I ask you all to please refrain from causing trouble for others. You can send as many threatening messages to me as you want; I’ll just laugh them off. I hope you all can help me continue to deliver enjoyable moments to everyone.”
Again, Kanata bowed his head.
Kanata glanced at Anise, seeing her nod and snap her fingers, causing a flurry of powdered snow to dance around him. It was a magical and enchanting moment, completely unlike the straightforward ice displays she had shown before.
“Well then, everyone, I’ll be coming live again tonight, so make sure to tune in!!”
With his voice echoing, Kanata’s view suddenly changed.
Kanata and Anise landed a little distance away, and soon, loud cheers reached Kanata.
“You were great, Kanata.”
“Well, it was just a simple trick. I mostly did it on a whim.”
“Even so, I believe your voice reached them.”
“… I hope so.”
To confirm, they returned to the square, where there were now more soldiers than before. However, the commotion had subsided and had become a bit too quiet, which made Kanata smile wryly.
“It’s like scolding students, isn’t it?”
“In a way, you’re not wrong. In terms of being told off, that is.”
Kanata nodded in agreement.
During a break in the Harvest Festival, Kanata found the right time and approached Maria and Alphana. As soon as they saw Kanata, they quickly came over to him.
“Thank you, Kanata-kun.”
“Thank you very much, Kanata-sama.”
“Well, it’s my fault, to begin with. But I’m glad things have calmed down.”
However, Kanata tilted his head slightly, surprised that the situation had progressed more smoothly than expected.
And for some reason, he couldn’t explain why, but he approached the two in front of him and embraced them with both arms.
“The Harvest Festival ends today. So, just a little while longer, both of you, do your best.”
“Ah…”
“M-My ears…”
“??”
Maria and Alphana shivered slightly at the whispered words in their ears. Although Kanata hadn’t intended it, his encouragement carried a faint magical energy… which meant Kanata had been quite earnest.
“We’ll do our best!!”
“Yeah!”
However, they were Maria and Alphana.
Having already built up some resistance to Kanata’s voice, their cheeks merely turned slightly red, and that was it.
After that, the Harvest Festival continued safely until its end.
“… But I might not be able to go back on it now.”
Kanata regretted a little for saying that they would do a big event.