Brightest Star Above

Speaking of which, I really wish I could thank Miss Liino.

Whoever that kind soul is, they must have been moved by Miss Liino's performance and felt a connection to Valley IV. How generous of them.

With this donation, both supplies and facilities will see a significant upgrade.

Endmin, if you ever have the chance to meet Miss Liino, could you pass along our gratitude to her?

Endmin? Fancy meeting you here again!

You saw yesterday's special performance too, right? Wasn't it incredible? That new song was absolutely amazing!

After last night's performance, an anonymous donor contributed a substantial amount of funding for Valley IV's development.

Now the workers can live a little better, stay and work with peace of mind, without feeling pressured to leave for other cities...

Who knew that idol's concert would be that amazing! I've never seen anything like it before ... the whole crowd was glued to it last night!

That's Liino, Talos-II's rising star, the "Morning Star of La Fantoma"! We're so lucky this concert happened...

Isaac, Mom and Dad don't have to move anymore, and you don't have to give away any of Miss Liino's collectibles.

Actually? Awesome! I want to see more of Miss Liino's shows from now on!

Don't worry, I'm sure we will. Mom and Dad will take you to see her next time.

Yay! A dazzling victory! Even in battles I'm not used to, I can still shine!

No need! I've been in way worse situations before. This time—

Ahem... I mean, it was a teeny bit tough! Thanks to the Endm...

Well, um ... the Endmin is still way more—

Oh, maybe we should stay here and keep watch? That way, if anything unexpected happens, we can handle it right away!

Perfect! I'll use the time to put the finishing touches on the performance too!

Phew — Operating this machine isn't all that hard once you get the hang of it. All set!

Why do you only praise others? Say something nice about Liino too! Hngggh...

You're really something, Endmin... I knew you'd say that — watch!

So, how does it feel to get a sneak peek up close? That's a privilege reserved just for the Endmin!

I promise! The real show will be way beyond this! When the time comes, Endmin, I won't let your eyes leave me for a single second!

R-really...?

WHAT?! How did we end up in the red?! Did we actually lose that much?!

Oh! Ah, haha! Endmin! Were you looking for me?

Of course it was! After all that preparation and putting my best into it, it had to be!

Heh, no need for that! Giving my absolute best to every fan is just part of being the perfect idol!

O-of course not! Anyway, even though the agency wants to keep things quiet for now and not announce the contract termination...

My upcoming tour plans are probably going to be hit pretty hard...

(Though, the higher-ups didn't even tack on extra penalties for breaking the contract... I had so many backup plans ready too...)

(Did Winston finally grow a conscience?)

What am I supposed to do now...

(Huh?! HUHHHH?! That reaction ... was way too calm!! Shouldn't you be more surprised? More excited?!)

(Hmph! Just you wait. One day, I'll make you completely surrender to the radiance of perfect little Liino! I swear it on the name of Djall!)

Oh... Um, nothing! So, does that mean you can take me to Dijiang now? I've been super curious about that place!

Anyway— Looking forward to working with you from now on, Endmin!

Well, I'm hoping for...

The Endmin to back me up! But, you know, to make things look a bit more legit... I figure I should at least go through the motions, like joining Endfield!

*Sobs* Wh-what!? Miss Liino, are you really planning to terminate your contract with the agency? As your manager, I-I respect your decision, of course...

But as a fan, I'm just so heartbroken... *sniffle*...

Alrighty, Cordelia, my ace "sound engineer", don't cry! We'll still see each other! I'm just ending the contract, not leaving La Fantoma for good.

But... I'm just really upset... Even though I vouched for you, the bosses just wouldn't budge... They kept saying, "It's what the higher-ups want."

I even managed to negotiate that Witching Hour endorsement for you! If things hadn't gone wrong, the contract would've been signed next month! But then ... *sobs*...

Oh come on, it's Liino you're talking to! Don't worry, Cordy. Opportunities like that will come back to me sooner or later.

Hehe, okay okay! Anyway, I'll always support you, Miss Liino! No matter where you go and perform, I wish you the very best!

Phew, time to get serious...

Well... Uh... About that... There was a little hiccup, hnnngh... If the Endmin doesn't help and offer some shelter, Liino might just end up stranded in the wild...

So, Endmin? Great idea, right? After all, Endfield doesn't have its own idol brand yet, does it? Ha ... haha...