The Tales of an Infinite Regressor

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 234: The Performer I

1

While we were talking about the relics of past times, another figure suddenly came to mind.

But before I delve into that, let me ask you something first:

Have you ever heard of the concept of a "cover song"?

A cover song is when someone sings an existing song with their own voice, effectively "overlaying" their voice onto the original track.

You don't have to look far—if you've ever gone to a karaoke room and sung songs, that's essentially a cover song.

A particularly famous cover singer is in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.

"Hey, where are you going, Aryeon?"

"Oh, today there's a concert. I worked hard to gather my rations to buy a ticket..."

"A concert? You mean 'Tang Seorin's'?"

"Huh? N-no, that kind of obscure Latin choir performance isn't really my thing... I'm going to see Cecilia's concert!"

The masked Queen of Songs.

Her stage name is Cecilia (セシリア).

As you might guess from the fact that her name is written in Japanese rather than English ("Cecelia"), she was Japanese.

However, this fact wasn't widely known.

To be honest, probably fewer than 10 people across the whole Korean Peninsula knew. I only found out later from the Saintess.

Thanks to this strict secrecy, rumors often circulated on SG-net (a post-apocalyptic network).

- Anonymous: Does anyone know Cecilia's identity?

└[MeteorIsMagic]: I tried digging with some close friends, but there wasn't much information.

- Anonymous: I can't understand why people are fans of such a bland singer. Apparently, she has encore performances exclusively for VIPs after the concerts. There's definitely some secret show happening behind the scenes...

└KoreanVillage: You idiot, I've bought VIP tickets dozens of times, and there's no such thing.

└Anonymous: Without proof, it's nothing.

- YoriKing: I think she has a truly beautiful voice! It's amazing how she can soothe the hearts of people in such a desolate world with her songs.

- Anonymous: So, is Lily part of the "Blue Pill" thing?

Her appearance, origins, age, gender, hobbies—none of this information was revealed about "The Masked Singer." She simply performed at a specific time and place, singing every time.

How was such a thing possible?

Was it because personal information had been wiped out in the apocalypse? That probably played a role.

But there was a more decisive reason.

"These days, SG-net is buzzing about Cecilia every time it's 7 o'clock. Is she really that special, with no distinctive traits?"

"How can you say that she has no distinctive traits? Guild Leader! Cecilia doesn't lack traits—she has every trait! Every. Single. One!"

Cecilia was the ultimate cover singer.

She could perfectly imitate any song—recreating the original performance without fail.

When she sang a Michael Jackson song, she became the "Heavenly Michael." When she belted out a Celine Dion hit, she transformed into the "Empress Celine."

She was a master of transformation.

That was Cecilia's awakened ability.

She could change her voice and vocal tone at will, delivering a 100% faithful reproduction of any original performance, making it impossible to pinpoint her identity based on her voice.

Whenever the song changed, so did her voice.

“Guild Leader, would you like to come with me? You have tons of ration vouchers, so you could easily buy a ticket, even from scalpers."

“It wouldn't be fun if I went with you.”

“Huh? Why? Oh, I always go to these concerts alone anyway.”

“...”

I went with her.

As expected of someone who was second only to "Tang Seorin" in fame across the Korean Peninsula, Cecilia's concert tickets were expensive.

Even the venue was special.

While most businesses in Busan reused buildings from the previous era, Cecilia's performance venue was custom-built by gathering architects.

It was a beautiful wooden structure.

In the middle was the stage, with about 50 tables set up in front of it. To watch the performance, you had to order food as well.

“If Tang Seorin is an idol for the masses, then this place is all about luxury...”

“Wow, Guild Leader! I've never been up in the VIP section before!”

Sim Aryeon jumped with excitement.

The VIPs were seated on the second-floor terrace in private rooms, where they could enjoy an expensive meal while watching the performance from above.

It was an opulent setup, hard to believe in a post-apocalyptic world.

“This is your first time? But you earn a lot of money, don't you? Did you gamble it away again?”

“Hehe, well, when I win, I become the center of attention at the table, and I can't resist how satisfying that feels...”

“Last time, you got stabbed in an alley because of that. Don't you ever get tired of it?”

“The fact is, no matter how many times they stab me, I can just heal myself with my self-regeneration ability.”

“...”

Just then, the lights dimmed.

Staff carrying torches lit the surrounding area, instantly transforming the atmosphere.

Aryeon, who had been cutting into her steak, exclaimed, “Wow! This is amazing!” splattering some saliva in her excitement. She was a truly embarrassing kid, no matter where I took her.

-Ah, ah, ah…

In the center of the darkened stage stood Cecilia, holding a microphone.

The microphone wasn't actually working. In this world, electronic devices were always at risk of being contaminated by the strange entities.

But for singers, microphones were like armor. Even if it wasn't functioning, no singer would step onto the stage—the battlefield—without their armor.

-Ah, ah, ah ♪

With her face completely hidden behind a mask, not a single inch of her skin exposed, Cecilia sang like someone dressed for the Venice Carnival.

-Kyaaahhh!

-Ceciliaaaa!

The fans, who had paid a hefty price for tickets, screamed with joy.

Tonight's performance was dedicated entirely to a legendary British rock band. The entire concert consisted of their songs.

With most electronic devices deemed too risky to use, Cecilia was almost the only way to experience the "original-level" version of the music they loved.

For the fans, it was impossible not to go wild.

-Ah, ah, ah ♪

On the other hand, this was the easiest way to make money for Cecilia.

Think about it. Every day, she could pick a famous musician from around the world, and just by performing one of their songs, money would roll in.

By announcing her six-month concert schedule in advance on SG-net, fans of those musicians would pay top dollar and travel to see her perform.

She didn't have to worry about creating new songs or whether the repetition would bore her fans. Cecilia's concerts were always sold out.

The fans were happy, and so was the singer—a win-win.

“Hm.”

But as for me... I couldn't bring myself to be enthusiastic about Cecilia's performance.

Maybe "I couldn't become attached to it" would be a better way to put it.

Even considering that I was a devoted follower of "Tang Seorin" and believed she was the greatest singer on the Korean Peninsula, it still felt that way.

“Isn't she, in the end, just a highly advanced recording machine?”

Granted, she was a "live" recording machine, which made her different, but...

I just preferred performances where you could hear the singer's own voice.

Even when it came to cover singers, I liked those who sang with their own voice.

That said, considering my unique circumstances, my harsh assessment of Cecilia had to be taken with a grain of salt.

“After all, I can just play any song in my head with my [Perfect Memory] ability whenever I want.”

In other words, Cecilia's live performances held almost no value for me.

In fact, watching Sim Aryeon beside me, screaming, “Kyaaah!” and, “Cecilia, you're the best!” while shedding tears of joy, was far more entertaining than the actual concert.

After the main performance and the encore ended, there was a special fan-signing session for VIPs.

Cecilia—the Queen of Busan- wearing her Venetian mask—greeted us.

“Hello.”

Her voice was still tuned to the British rock band's lead singer.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“Thank you so much for coming to the show. Would you like an autograph?”

“No, just give it to her.”

“Okay.”

Scribble, scribble.

Cecilia smoothly signed the autograph, toying with the fan.

“Here you go... ….”

When she handed over the autograph and our eyes met, Cecilia hesitated for some reason.

To be specific, she paused for about 0.5 seconds. It wasn't long, and her face was hidden behind the mask, but I could sense a slight moment of surprise.

It wasn't strange. My face was well known in many places. The hero of the Ten Clans Annihilation Battle showing up as a VIP must have been a bit surprising.

"...Do you really not want my autograph?"

"Ah, no. The child I came with today is a fan of yours, so I just followed along. Your performance was really enjoyable."

"...Thank you."

A somewhat uncertain response.

But honestly, I wasn't too concerned with the mood of a singer I didn't even know. Especially since next to me, Sim Aryeon was making a loud commotion after receiving the signed paper.

Barely managing to calm Aryeon down, I left the autograph session.

"Did you have fun?"

"Yes! Thanks to you, Guild Leader, I even got a... personal autograph... Guild Leader, you're the best! I'll never forget today's concert!"

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Hehe... Oh! Right! Just a sec, let me run back to the VIP seats and take a picture!"

"Hmm? Why a picture?"

"I need to post it on SGNet!"

"......."

That day, a post appeared on SGNet with a flipping-off emoji and the title, 'That broke loser couldn't even stay for Cecilia's VIP performance, where did he go? lol'.

Aryeon was truly someone to be embarrassed by, no matter where she went.

I glanced at the signed paper that Aryeon had hung in a frame like a treasure.

"To Sim Aryeon, I hope it was a good night."

Nowhere on the signed paper was there Cecilia's signature.

That odd fact stuck in my mind.

2

So, what's the music taste of someone like me?

Let's leave out Busan’s Best Idol, Tang Seorin as a unique exception.

I prefer unknown singers who I can casually listen to while eating lunch or dinner at a restaurant.

"Hello, I'm called Calypso. I'll sing a song I wrote and composed myself... Ruins."

For instance, take this musician named Calypso.

She worked diligently every lunch hour, whether it's a stew restaurant or a barbecue joint. Armed with just a guitar, she sang alone.

"Is it the broken half-moon, or is it your eyes...?"

To put it kindly, her skills were not impressive.

In today's world, musicians like her didn't get paid by the restaurant owners. They were simply allowed to use the space and had to rely on tips from customers to get by.

Comparing her to The Queen, Cecilia's grand stages felt like an insult.

Cecilia's performances were held at some of the most luxurious places in Busan, while Calypso sang at restaurants that were half-collapsed with a sign reading 'We're still open!'*

Naturally, the spending habits of the customers differed. Weak performers often just filled the restaurant's background noise and left empty-handed.

"I enjoyed the performance today."

"Oh...! Doctor Jang! Th-thank you!"

And I liked such musicians.

Calypso's Korean was clumsy, probably because she'd come over from Japan.

It couldn't have been easy to adapt to a foreign land, yet I saw her in 9 out of the 10 restaurants I frequented.

That meant she was humbly asking every restaurant owner for a gig wherever she could.

In other words?

‘A hardworking young person!’

I didn't have any creepy desire to keep some small-time musician all to myself.

Unlike Noh Doha, who hated young people, I just wanted to help and support hardworking youth whenever I saw them.

The amount I donated wasn't excessive but not too little either.

Enough so they wouldn't starve.

Just enough for them to hang on, improve their skills, and break through—until they could endure the fight against themselves and their circumstances.

I wanted to extend the little bit of time that this broken world denied them.

"I enjoyed the performance today."

"Oh, yes! Th-thank you!"

Calypso gave a slight bow.

But something felt off. Normally, we would have parted by now, but Calypso lifted her head with a determined expression.

"Um, um, excuse me...!"

"Hmm."

I gave a kind smile.

"There's no need."

"Actually...! Oh, uh, huh?"

"You don't need to thank me too much. You don't even have to remember my name. I'm just a nameless fan supporting you, Calypso. That's enough for me."

"Oh..."

"Keep it up."

"......."

I raised my thumb, then gracefully left the restaurant.

I could sense Calypso's confusion behind me, but I cut it off with determination.

‘Perfect.’

There was pride in my footsteps.

This was the epitome of what a role-model fan should be!

Feeling so pleased with myself, I immediately spoke to the ‘Invisible Constellation’ as soon as I entered a secluded alley.

"Wasn't that heartwarming, Saintess?"

[Hmm...]

"Whenever I see people working hard, regardless of their age or background, it fills my heart with joy."

[Yes... It is, isn't it?]

"But then again, remember that fancy restaurant the other day? Tsk. They only let in 50 guests, claiming it's some high-end strategy to perform songs. Can you believe it? They're still doing business like that in a world that might fall apart at any moment. What a shame."

[......]

"Sometime in the future, I'll definitely create a system where everyone can enjoy entertainment, no matter who they are."

But the Saintess's reaction was lukewarm.

Given her nature of staying cooped up in her aquarium all day, I was likely her only human conversation partner.

Our exchanges should have been livelier, but something was off today.

[Um... Doctor Jang?]

"Yes?"

[I've been debating whether to tell you this, but I can't keep it a secret any longer—it would be unfair to you. I need to say something.]

"What do you mean?"

The Saintess took a deep breath and spoke.

[The musician you've been personally supporting, Calypso?]

"Ah. Yes."

[She's actually Cecilia.]

Blink.

"What?"

[In other words, the unknown musician you praised and the Queen of Busan you criticized—they are, in fact, the exact same person.]

"......."

[I'm sorry. I knew how much you were enjoying being her anonymous benefactor, so I thought it'd be better not to say anything. But looking back, I think I should have told you from the start.]

Silence.

"...So Calypso—no, Cecilia..."

[Of course, Cecilia recognized you. Just now, she probably wanted to reveal her true identity to you. She was likely gathering the courage to do so.]

"......."

[......]

"......."

[I'm sorry. Do you wish I hadn't said anything?]

This is all Sim Aryeon's fault!

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]