archet

We are here today to commemorate the past, and to welcome a new beginning.

All who stand with me today are my brothers and sisters. Fate has brought us together, and every bond that we formed is a gift given to us by the monastery.

We will not forget the bread and the beer, nor the bells and the fields. We will not forget the Law that we studied, nor the love that we shared.

We meet here today to bid farewell to Landen Monastery.

Is there no other way?

I understand your feelings, but the church has decided to close the monastery down at the end of the year.

It can no longer support itself, and the church will no longer fund its operations.

All we can do is bid it a respectful and dignified farewell.

Can we not have a little more time? Everyone is doing their utmost to find a way to save the monastery.

Maybe we'll find a way to improve our finances...

I'm afraid the church has already given us more than enough time.

But why does it have to be demolished?

If we could at least keep the building...

The monastery's land will have to be sold to repay its debts.

While we'll always have fond memories of its fields and its sunshine, we should not prevent the land from realizing its value.

Maybe I could have prevented this if only I'd worked harder...

I regret this as much as you do, sister, but as the teachings say, we must learn to accept what we cannot change.

May the beauty of days past live forever in our memories, and bless the future of our brothers and sisters—

Now leave the demolition to me!

Exusiai?!

Obviously abandoned buildings should be disposed of, pronto.

So if this monastery isn't doing its job anymore, there's only one thing left to do—blow it up spectacularly!

What?!

Wait a second! Even if it must be demolished, it should be done respectfully, not like this—

Coming through, coming through!

No time to talk! Let's send this centuries-old antique out with a bang!

Three, two—

Wait––

Wait!

Wait!

Oh, thank goodness, it was just a dream...

I... I'm...

Oh right! There was a meet-and-greet session today... did I fall asleep on the job?!

Don't worry, no one showed up in the half hour that you were dozing off.

I see, that's a relief...

No it's not!

We've been here since early morning, and we haven't sold a single album!

There are long lines in front of every other artist's booth, too. This is pretty awful, even considering your current popularity... or lack thereof.

I'm sorry, I should have worked harder.

Oh, I'm not saying you're lazy. I know how much effort you've put in.

But it takes more than hard work to be an idol! You need relevancy and instant appeal!

It's my fault too, for approving that nun gimmick of yours. Next time, we really ought to be more conscious of local appeal.

Gimmick? I was only being myself...

(And what purpose is there in being an idol, if I can't promote the monastery?)

To be blunt, your career is at a crossroads.

Today's meet-and-greet and album signing session is our last chance. If we can't sell these leftover albums, we might as well pack our bags.

I'm not sure what I can do at this point, but I'll give it my all!

Look, someone's coming over!

Get ready! This might be our first customer of the day!

Ahem...

(Recites without a hitch)

'The bells sing a song of love. We meet today, as ordained by beautiful fate.'

Welcome, and let us listen to the sounds of love and hope together!

Buy a copy of 'Sonata of Love's Bells' today, and get a free box of Landen Monastery's famous cystymilk bread!

(Makes a pose that is energetic but dignified)

Y-You're the famous—!

Oh, I'm so lucky! I never thought I'd see you here!

Thank you for the support. I wouldn't exactly call myself 'famous' though...

I hear you over the radio all the time, and I've bought a lot of your albums.

This is the first time I've seen you in person, but you're just as brilliant as I imagined you'd be!

(Is this what it's like to be popular? Deep breaths, deep breaths, look like an idol!)

(Sunny and elegant smile)

Thank you very much. Please continue to support my songs.

'Those who know to appreciate others are blessed with wisdom and kindness.' May good fortune be upon you.

Your voice is so sweet! Just like the way you sing!

I'm so excited I got to meet you today!

So can I get your autograph, Sora?

Of course! Everyone here for the meet-and-greet will—

...Sora?

...Sora?

You got the wrong person.

The sign says 'Archetto,' not 'Sora.'

Archetto? Who's Archetto?

Anyone else would've been furious at getting mistaken for another idol at their own meet-and-greet...

But you even gave him bread?

'Do not resent a misunderstanding,' 'Do not be carried away by fame that does not belong to you,'...That's what the teachings say.

There's no reason to get angry at that gentleman over a simple mistake.

Well, that's nice, but has it ever occurred to you that this is why you don't have any fans?

I thought it was because my singing and dancing weren't good enough.

No, what you're lacking most is the ability to promote your character.

Your gimmick is a nun, but you can't just 'be a nun' in front of the fans.

You need to identify what fans love about the image of a nun, and refine, polish, and deliver on that.

But I only know how to be a cleric, not how to be an idol.

I understand that I'm promoting a business, but it always feels like I'm hiding my face behind that of another.

The most important thing for a professional idol is to generate interest with your image and bring in revenue. That's what the advertisers are investing in, at least.

Failing to maintain a consistent and appealing image will only hurt the sponsors.

Have I... ever done anything to hurt the sponsors?

Advertising your monastery's cystymilk bread in a dessert parlor ad, bringing up beer on talk shows, getting caught on video catching a thief on the streets...

Don't tell me you forgot all that?

While I understand now that a young idol shouldn't be talking about drinking... how exactly is catching a thief a bad thing?

The facts notwithstanding, all the public saw was an idol getting into a street fight.

And clarifying what happened isn't cheap either.

Not to mention how the children's clothing brand was NOT happy with their brand ambassador getting into a fight, regardless of why.

They never mentioned that in the contract...

No, I apologize, it was my fault.

I had high hopes for you, you know... I've always been confident in my eye for talent.

Money aside, I was looking forward to seeing 'Archetto' shining brightly on stage.

I'm sorry... I wish I could have done more.

Never mind that. Keep doing what you need to here. I'll ask around the other booths and see if we can get some tips.

What it means to be a professional idol...