Ode

The opening performance on the final day of the Valoran Music Festival stunned everyone. Whether it was the audience in the grand theater or the listeners in front of the radio, they were all rendered speechless by the impact of the "Symphony of Fate." Before this, whether in Azeroth or Valoran, or even among the Draenei who had drifted through many planets, no one had ever heard music that directly resonated with the soul like this. It allowed people to feel firsthand the unwavering belief in never succumbing to the arrangements of fate and that light would surely triumph over darkness.

Just thinking about the short and intense "Da-da-da-da" at the beginning still sent shivers down people's spines; it was the most intense shock from the soul!

Archmage Antonidas glanced at Aiden sitting to his left. As a leader, he seemed to see the deeper meaning behind the other person using "Fate" as the opening performance.

Looking at the leaders present today, many were hesitant when Aiden proposed using the Valley of the Four Winds in Pandaria to solve the famine problem during the day. After all, peace is hard-won; who would want to think about going to war all the time?

The food problem would not always plague them. They could temporarily purchase a batch of grain through the channels of the Astral Consortium to support them for a year or two. According to the financial and material resources of each country, it would not be difficult to bear.

However, after hearing "Fate," the situation was different.

This was a battle music that inspired people to be brave and forge ahead. It encouraged people to face difficulties head-on and rise to challenges, rather than being timid and avoiding war, and muddling through.

If Aiden had said directly that facing the threat of Deathwing and the elemental lords was inevitable. Since war was coming sooner or later, it would be better to act now while the other side was not yet prepared.

If he had said that, some of the other leaders might have agreed, but some would definitely not want to immediately plunge into war because of the difficulties ahead.

But now, most people would be excited, feeling that since war was inevitable, it would be better to completely solve Deathwing and also obtain the endless grain resources and the golden spring water that heals the earth in Pandaria. This was the way to lasting peace!

"I want to say, well done," Antonidas lightly nudged Aiden's elbow, giving him an understanding look.

"Ha," Aiden smiled, tacitly.

— —

After the symphony orchestra successfully concluded their performance, Draven returned to the stage once again.

"I must say, my soul has been baptized. I feel deeply sinful. This piece makes me think of all the great times I wasted in the past doing meaningless things." He evaluated "Fate" in a half-serious, half-joking tone. "This is the most inspiring music I have ever heard in my life. Without a doubt, this is a great masterpiece. Let us pay tribute to Mr. Beethoven, who 'grasped the throat of fate'— well, after hearing the soul-stirring sound, let's have some slightly gentler music to soothe our hearts! Let's invite 'Maven of the Strings' Sona to bring us her latest composition, 'Starry Sky.' I can't wait to see her come to the stage. Tell me, are you as excited as I am for her to appear, aren't you?"

He held the microphone towards the audience, and the audience shouted "Yes" in great cooperation.

Sona, as one of the last heroes to be summoned, has only been in Azeroth for four months, but her fame is even greater than many of the heroes who came before her.

Because she is not only a hero but also a public figure, a popular star— possessing such an outstanding temperament, top-notch appearance, and figure, coupled with her unparalleled musical talent, although she doesn't perform often, she already has countless fans.

Sona walked onto the stage with her instrument case in the midst of enthusiastic applause. She only bowed slightly, and the audience immediately erupted in cheers. Everyone knew that she was born mute and could not speak, which made people feel even more sympathy and pity for her— God gave her unparalleled musical talent and a stunningly beautiful appearance, but made her unable to speak. This defect made people love this female hero who uses music as her weapon even more.

Sona came to her position, opened the instrument case, and took out the ancient zither "Etwahl" from inside and placed it on the table. The amplifier amplified the slightest sounds of her every movement.

"I've been looking forward to Miss Sona's song for a long time."

"It must be another baptism of the soul— I wonder how it compares to the 'Fate' just now?"

"This is different. Fate is something that only men can compose, full of battle and unyielding spirit, while Miss Sona's style is more inclined towards warmth and gentleness, like a haven for the soul."

"The performance styles of symphony and zither are also different and cannot be directly compared, but I can be sure that they will both be classics among classics!"

The audience in the audience and in front of the radio talked a lot.

However, when Sona's slender white hands were placed on the strings, all whispers and discussions disappeared, and people listened quietly. Then, a string of clear and ethereal sounds like flowing springs spread from the strings of "Etwahl", and everyone who heard this sound felt incredibly calm in their hearts.

The zither music took people to a quiet night, and there seemed to be insects chirping and birds singing, springs tinkling, and a gentle breeze blowing around. Everything around was unusually blurred, as if it were a set of constantly changing images, and people could not judge what was in it, only the stars and the Milky Way in the night sky were extremely clear.

People's emotions constantly changed with the music, and some people couldn't help but look up at the top of their heads.

The Mingzhu Grand Theater is a closed indoor venue, and of course, you can only see the roof or ceiling when you look up, but at this time, the people who looked up really saw the starry sky— it was the real starry sky, and it was so close to people, as if they were standing outside the planet, and the flowing nebulae, the twinkling stars, and the occasional meteor that streaked across the sky and illuminated the night sky were all within reach.

"This is really, unbelievably beautiful"

"Am I hallucinating? God, I really saw the starry sky"

"Beautiful, so beautiful"

Aiden wouldn't tell them that this was actually from the Titan device from Ulduar— he took it from the observatory, anyway, the guardians there couldn't use it, so it's better to take it for his own use.

Just like the holographic map in the conference room before, this grand theater also has similar functions, which can create various realistic illusions on a large scale.

Of course, this is just a trick. In fact, Sona's "Starry Sky" itself is extraordinary and can definitely be called a classic. This holographic projection is just the icing on the cake.

After this "Starry Sky" ended, there was also thunderous applause that lasted for a long time. Incidentally, there was also a small sequela— that is, many children in front of the radio and in the grand theater were clamoring for their parents to buy them ancient zithers.

After Sona finished her performance, the next one to appear was the minstrel Forresten from Lordaeron.

Speaking of this name, Aiden, this "player," doesn't know much about it. After all, it is a bit difficult for an Easterner to remember a long Western name, especially since this person is not as famous as Sylvanas?

However, Aiden has indeed heard of this person because he owns a "Fiery short flute."

In the game, the Fiery short flute is an interesting item that, when equipped, allows nearby players to automatically dance.

The official specially set up a very touching background story for him and this short flute.

Forresten was a minstrel from Darrowshire, known as the "Golden Voice." When he went to Stratholme, the plague broke out. He hid in fear for many days, avoiding Prince Arthas's slaughter of the city, but ultimately did not escape the erosion of the plague.

Forresten watched helplessly as the other survivors turned into ghouls one by one. In the end, in despair, he chose to self-immolate.

He played his last song on the short flute in the raging fire. It was the most touching music in the world, but unfortunately, there were no listeners to listen…

So in the game, Forresten became a rare random yellow-named BOSS in the Scarlet area of Stratholme. The flute he originally played became the "Fiery short flute" and left a proverb: "I once had a golden voice that everyone envied. When I used my life to call for hope and freedom, I began to be silent."

But in this world, his Fate has been completely changed. Although Stratholme still suffered from the plague, Forresten did not die. The past predicament inspired his inspiration even more. In the past two years, he has created many musical poems, and his reputation has naturally become louder and louder, to the point where he is qualified to be a musician who can appear on stage tonight.

After introducing himself when he appeared on stage, he raised the short flute in his hand and said humorously: "When I pick up the short flute and play, I hope the world dances for me."

Applause and boos rang out from the audience, though the boos weren't malicious. Foresten had already performed several times during the music festival. His singing and songs had a strong dance music style that made people want to dance.

The concert lasted more than three hours and featured a total of twenty performances. Famous musicians from various countries took the stage, truly giving people a musical feast.

Sona even made a second appearance in the middle, but this time she wasn't playing the guqin solo. Instead, she appeared as the keyboardist for the 'Pentakill' rock band.

The Pentakill rock band consisted of five members: Sona, guitarist Mordekaiser, bassist Yorick, drummer Olaf, and lead singer Karthus. Everyone from Valoran was familiar with this famous rock band.

The Pentakill rock band pioneered the 'rock music' genre in Valoran. Its members were top-notch musical experts, and they stirred up a rock craze in Valoran back then. They were especially good at heavy metal rock, with death metal being their signature style.

This time, they brought a brand new single—'Punishment and Flame'.

Other audience members had already witnessed rock music in the previous days of the music festival. This brand new musical form quickly became popular among young people. Those who loved it simply adored it, while those who hated it considered it worthless noise.

The five members of the Pentakill rock band all wore dark, studded leather jackets or metal armor, with heavy makeup and flamboyant personalities.

Karthus held the microphone, and his singing immediately stunned everyone else.

"I never knew that this 'Deathsinger' had such skills before," Prince Kael'thas said with a wry smile.

"He doesn't just sing 'Requiem', ha," Aiden smiled.

Three hours quickly approached the end, and people were very much looking forward to what the final highlight would be—knowing that the previous musicians had brought out their best works, and the opening even had the eternal classic 'Symphony of Fate' as a precedent. In any case, the level of the last piece must not be lower than it.

"I heard that the last piece is another classic from your hometown, Aiden. Can you reveal what it is in advance?" Antonidas asked in a low voice.

"Oh? You don't seem like a person with such curiosity, Archmage."

"It's mainly because 'Fate' was too shocking. I can't guess what other piece can compare to it."

"The theme of 'Fate' is resistance, while this last one is praise. But I can guarantee that it can indeed rival 'Fate'. It was also created by Beethoven," Aiden said pointedly, without revealing more information.

"Another Beethoven?" Prophet Velen exclaimed, "I thought a person might not even get a piece like 'Fate' in their lifetime. This Mr. Beethoven is truly admirable."

"His classic works are more than just these two," Aiden said.

Velen's eyebrows twitched, and he said in astonishment, "Heaven truly favors mankind."

At this time, the host, Draven, had finished the announcement, and the information of the last piece was displayed on the big screen.

The performers were still Liszt's Pearl Philharmonic Orchestra, and the original author was still Beethoven. The difference was that the performers included the Pearl Chorus, and the original author was divided into lyricist and composer. The lyricist was, of course, Beethoven, and the composer was Schiller.

Ode to Joy

"Joy, beautiful spark of Divinity, Daughter of Elysium,"

"Is this religious music?" Prophet Velen could tell just by looking at that line of lyrics.

"Yes," Aiden nodded. 'Ode to Joy' was indeed full of solemn and sacred religious overtones, and it was the most mainstream religious music at the time.

Hearing Aiden's admission, although the others didn't say anything on the surface, they were still a little strange in their hearts.

From what they knew, this Valoran leader was a typical person who only did practical things and rarely talked about faith. How could he arrange a religious music at the end of the concert?

Unable to figure it out, everyone really couldn't figure out what the deep meaning was.

Before, 'Fate' aroused the spirit of resistance in their hearts, tending to agree with Aiden's opinion to unseal the elemental plane and eliminate Deathwing and the threatening elemental lords.

After so much time, everyone had been able to react and understood the intention of putting this "battle music" at the beginning. But even so, they had no intention of changing their minds. At this time, it's best to let nature take its course.

But what is the deep meaning of 'Ode to Joy'?

—

When the conductor waved the baton, the cello and double bass took the lead in playing the most famous melody.

The deep and rich sound created a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, allowing people to calm down involuntarily, completely putting aside other thoughts in their minds and enjoying the music.

Then the viola brought a touch of brightness to the repeating melody, and the audience's emotions gradually became cheerful, like the morning sun shooting the first ray of warm sunlight from the clouds; and when the crisp and bright sound of the violin joined, it made people feel extremely happy and blissful.

What surprised everyone the most was that in the middle section, a crisp children's choir sounded.

Joy, beautiful spark of Divinity,

Daughter of Elysium,

We enter, fire-imbibed,

Heavenly, thy sanctuary.

Thy magic binds again

What fashion's sword has severed,

All men become brothers,

Beneath thy gentle wing.

… …

For tens of thousands of years, Azeroth has never produced a piece of music like 'Ode to Joy' that can so perfectly interpret God's grace, with a positive and upward theme, promoting light and justice, and can truly penetrate people's hearts and even infect their souls.

It is so sacred and beautiful, so beautiful and vivid. Whether it is the melody or the meaning, it contains the power to guide people to be positive and upward, truly allowing people's souls to be baptized and sublimated.

Although there is an extra "Goddess of Joy" in this song, the Prophet saw the praise of the Holy Light in it.

Prophet Velen was even more excited than when he heard 'Fate' before. He said repeatedly: "The Goddess of Joy must be the incarnation of the Holy Light. This 'Ode to Joy' is so good!"

"I completely agree with this!" Uther nodded constantly. This Ode to Joy brought him a completely different feeling. 'Fate' made him think of battle, while 'Ode to Joy' made him think of faith. For a paladin, faith is undoubtedly above all else. So in his opinion, the greatness of 'Ode to Joy' is even above 'Fate'!

"Aiden, do you think she might be a naaru," Prophet Velen asked with great interest.

"… … Uh," Aiden pondered for a while, not knowing how to answer.

Uther said in a deep voice: "I have reservations about this."

Prophet Velen immediately looked at Uther, and the two stared at each other.

Involving faith, Aiden was not prepared to easily express any opinions.

He thought of such a thing in the original history:

When the draenei crossed over to Azeroth on the 'Exodar' and joined the Alliance. Once, when Prophet Velen went to Teldrassil to pay a friendly visit to the night elves, he heard Tyrande talk about the night elf's faith in the moon goddess Elune. He observed that the power released by the moon god's priests and the holy light power obtained by their draenei from the naaru were the same in essence, so he speculated: "Elune is likely also a naaru."

This was an unfounded speculation for the night elves who believed in the moon god. Tyrande could not accept it at all, so she politely but firmly refuted the other party.

Aiden knew the essence of Elune, and even the essence of the naaru.

Prophet Velen's assertion was wrong. Elune was not a naaru, but it was not entirely wrong, because Elune did have holy light spells.

However, he stood at a different angle and naturally would not participate in such a debate.

The Goddess of Joy is a god worshipped by some people on Earth. Whether she exists or not, she is definitely not a naaru…

He pondered in his heart: Prophet Velen's habit of seeing gods who can cast holy light power or spread the holy light faith and thinking that the other party is a naaru… is a bit bad.

But no matter what, after 'Ode to Joy' came to this world, it fully demonstrated its charm regardless of race or civilization.

Beethoven's two works have shone brightly in this world. If this musical giant knew, he would definitely be very pleased.