Chapter 265: Soft Power(2)
Chapter 265: Soft Power(2)
The performance, which could be called the highlight of the exhibition, was scheduled to begin at exactly 8 PM. During the last exhibition, the performance had been held outdoors because there was nothing but a makeshift stage, but now, a proper, polished building stood in its place.
And as expected, thanks to the full support of the Minerva Empire, the scale was massive. According to my father, it could accommodate up to ten thousand people.
I wondered if everyone would actually be able to see the performance properly, but looking back at some of the shows from my previous life, it wasn't entirely impossible. I’d even heard that binoculars would be provided upon request for those with poor eyesight or those sitting in the back rows.
Specifically, the kind of portable binoculars that are easy to carry around. You occasionally see people watching a show with a pair of binoculars in one hand—that’s exactly what these were.
Even in my previous life, high-quality ones were quite expensive; I could only imagine how much they cost here, where technology was less developed. Fortunately, lenses and glasses had already been invented, or this would have been a real headache.
Still, there was no avoiding the exorbitant price. Since even the lenses had to be handcrafted without the help of machines, the price for a pair of portable binoculars was enough to make anyone tremble.
The Minerva Empire was providing those binoculars for free. I suppose I should say it’s typical of a country overflowing with wealth; they were solving every obstacle by throwing money at it.
Of course, since they were so expensive, one was placed at every seat to prevent theft, and a locking mechanism was activated using magic. For the record, they had received help from the Demon Tribe for the magic.
If someone tried to secretly extract a lens or walk out with the binoculars, an alarm would sound, so there was no need to worry about theft.
All that was left was for the audience to enjoy the performance so many had prepared. I was told that commoners would watch from the first floor, while nobles would be on the second.
My family, friends, and I were seated in the first row of the second floor, the prime spot for viewing. The rest of the VIPs were seated elsewhere.
I wonder how great it will be.
Cecile had been so confident; I was curious to see just how spectacular a show they would put on. Since it was a collaboration between the Matrix Theater Troupe and the Lirus Orchestra, just like the last exhibition, my expectations were high.
Furthermore, the more I listened to her explanations, the more I was reminded of things from my past life. It was, after all, one of the most popular forms of human culture shared across the world.
If they handled special effects like explosions with magic and, further, replaced recording with magic, production wasn't impossible.
In fact, the Matrix Theater Troupe had a long history of putting on performances that rivaled movies, even within the limited environment of a stage. That only added to my anticipation.
If my hunch was correct, the situation might flip. It might not be them wanting Xenon Biography, but me wanting them.
Still, I shouldn't compare it too strictly to my previous life. Back then, masterpieces were created through decades of accumulated know-how. Even with the full support of Helium, this was their first attempt.
Comparing the culture of Earth, which had reached its zenith, to the culture of this world, which was just beginning to bloom, would be truly cruel.
So, I decided to watch the performance with an open mind. For now, my priority was guiding Cecile and Arwen.
"Then I shall look forward to the performance this evening."
"It will likely be a performance you'll never forget for the rest of your life."
It was 6 PM, and the sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon. Arwen and I parted ways so she could have dinner.
I suggested we eat together at the mansion, but she shook her head and politely declined, saying her presence would surely create an awkward atmosphere.
I wanted to ask what could be awkward when we already knew each other and had even taken down the Elder Council together. However, Arwen’s stance was so firm that I had no choice but to back down.
As I headed back to the mansion for dinner, I ran into some unexpected faces.
"Isaac!"
"Huh?"
My siblings, Dave and Nicole, were there, dressed smartly in their Navy Knights uniforms. It seemed they had been granted leave.
As soon as I saw them, a bright smile spread across my face. Both of them were good-looking and had fit physiques, so they really pulled off the uniforms.
"When did you get here?"
"About two hours ago. How have you been? Our youngest has grown so much since I last saw him."
Dave gave a refreshing smile and patted my head as if he were proud of me. I hadn't seen him since the last exhibition, though I'd seen Nicole more recently.
Since I’d had a massive growth spurt in the past year, it must have been a surprise for Dave. I wore a bright expression, soaking up my older brother's affection.
I might have Lily now, but up until recently, I was the one who received all the "youngest child" love.
Dave, like Nicole, had always doted on me when I was little, so our sibling bond was quite strong.
As for the relationship between Dave and Nicole... well, let's move on. They were just typical siblings.
"I've been doing well. And I'm not the youngest anymore; Lily is."
"Ah, right. That's true."
"Did you two come together?"
"Yeah. It's only been a year, but so much has changed. For a second, I wondered if this was even our territory."
I caught up with my siblings on everything we’d missed. Nicole looked healthy, her injured arm seemingly fully recovered.
As we talked, Nicole kept glancing behind me. It seemed she was making eye contact with Adelia.
When I looked back, I saw Adelia standing with her hands behind her back, smiling brightly. She was clearly overjoyed to see her best friend again.
From Adelia's perspective, Nicole was an irreplaceable treasure. She had brought light into Adelia's lonely life and, furthermore, had helped connect her with the man she loved.
"By the way, Isaac. What kind of gift did you get from the Demon Tribe that—Ack!!"
Dave almost blurted out something insensitive, but Nicole managed to stop him just in time. She had stomped hard on his foot, pretending it was an accident.
Naturally, Dave glared at Nicole as if to ask what the hell she was doing. From his perspective, knowing nothing, he was beyond annoyed—he was baffled.
Nicole ignored him, cleared her throat, and looked at me, casually changing the subject.
"Let's catch up properly later. Dinner preparations just finished."
"Uh... okay."
"Hey. Before that, care to tell me why you stepped on my foot?"
"Don't be so clueless. When are you ever going to learn to read the room?"
"Look at her dodging the question again. You're just a girl with the strength of an orc."
"You want to die?"
Mm. A harmonious pair of siblings, as always. Leaving their bickering behind, I headed to the dining area with the rest of the group.
While Mari and Cecile could sit at the table and eat with us, Adelia had to eat separately because she was my exclusive maid.
Due to the nature of her job, this wasn't something I could change, so I had to let her go. Adelia didn't seem to mind and stepped away to have her dinner.
Normally, she would have to stand behind me even while I ate, but perhaps on my father's orders, the meal was just for the family. With Mari and Cecile included, of course.
"So, have there been any issues in the border region lately?"
"Nothing significant. The Elf Rangers have been less active recently, and while the Barbarians are a bit of a concern, it's nothing critical."
"The Elf Rangers are likely quiet because of the increased exchange with Albenheim, but you should stay vigilant regarding the Barbarians. Anything else?"
"Nothing else in particular."
Dave and Nicole's updates were peaceful and routine. There was the usual soldierly grumbling, but to my father's ears, it was all minor stuff.
However, from a parent's perspective, there were a few other concerns. Chief among them was their romantic lives.
Parents always want their children to find a partner, regardless of what they do. This is a universal truth that transcends professions.
Even though Dave and Nicole had followed in our father's footsteps and joined the military, marriage was essentially seen as a necessity. Given the era we lived in, it was unavoidable.
Furthermore, there was no need for women to worry about their careers being cut short. In units like the Navy Knights, where every individual was vital, they provided full support to ensure a quick return to duty.
This system was only possible thanks to the Minerva Empire's formidable economic power.
"It's good to work hard, but finding a partner is important too. Is there anyone you're interested in?"
"Uh..."
"Um..."
At our mother's gentle question, Dave and Nicole both started shifting their eyes around.
It was quite a sight to see their golden eyes, so like our father's, darting back and forth. It seemed neither of them had anyone in mind.
Eventually, the siblings looked at our mother and answered simultaneously.
""No one.""
"..."
What followed was a long, long lecture. Even if you're not interested, shouldn't you produce the next generation? At our age, we should be seeing grandchildren, and so on.
"Look at Isaac. He already has two wives, doesn't he? But you two don't even have one. I'm truly worried."
"Isn't our youngest the weird one here? I mean, how are we supposed to compete with Xenon?"
"Mom. That's just because Isaac is a ruffian. With that face, it would be weirder if he couldn't seduce women."
"..."
I knew I’d be brought into this, but I didn't expect it to go like this. I let it go in one ear and out the other, focusing silently on my food.
I hope the performance starts soon.
Even so, the conversation didn't stop. In fact, Mari and Cecile, who were sitting on either side of me, joined in.
"Isaac is a special case. But do you know what's interesting? Both Adelia-unni and I fell for him before we knew he was Xenon. In fact, Adelia-unni still doesn't know he's Xenon."
"And Leona said she liked him as a male, though that might be because of Beastkin culture, right?"
"Wow... our youngest—I mean, my brother—really has a talent. Care to tell your big brother how you seduced them?"
"Talent? He's just a ruffian. Is there any woman he couldn't seduce with that face?"
"..."
Save me.
*
After our "harmonious" family dinner ended, we headed straight to the performance hall where the grand stage awaited.
Originally, the whole family was going to go together, but my father stayed behind because of remaining paperwork, and my mother stayed to look after Lily.
I felt bad that they were missing the once-a-year performance, but Cecile’s next words put me at ease.
"Don't worry. The performance isn't just for today; it's going to run for several days."
"For several days?"
"Yeah. The motto of the Xenon Exhibition is 'culture for everyone to enjoy.' We can't have people missing out."
It seemed that since it was recorded as a video, they could show it anytime. I thanked her and headed to the hall with a much lighter heart.
Unlike a year ago, when the venue was a makeshift outdoor stage, this was a structure built with meticulous care.
The exterior of the building was saturated with the Minerva Empire's determination not to be outdone by the Ters Republic.
I couldn't even guess how many craftsmen had poured their sweat into erecting this building. Just looking at its magnificent form made it hard to imagine.
It really hit home that the Minerva Empire had gone all out. Just how starved for culture were they to build something like this?
Buzz— Buzz—
As I entered the building, the low hum of the crowd already reached my ears. There was a separate path for nobles, but because there were so many people, the sound carried even here.
The hall's capacity was about ten thousand. However, I knew that the number of people attending the exhibition was far greater than that.
There were even reports of headaches because the newly built inns were already at full capacity. Since the number of commoners reading Xenon Biography far outweighed the number of nobles, it was inevitable.
Still, as Cecile said, the performance would run for three days, so it wasn't an issue. The performance was the highlight of the Xenon Exhibition, its alpha and omega.
In essence, the exhibition would continue for several days. Trying to cram everything into one day would have been far too rushed.
In this world, assuming one doesn't use teleportation, traveling between countries can take days or even over a month.
In that sense, having the exhibition run for several days meant giving more people a chance, which was a good thing.
Father is going to have a lot of work to do.
Thinking about the ever-growing scale of the exhibition, I looked for my seat. Perhaps due to magic, the interior of the enclosed building was very bright.
Thanks to that, finding my seat wasn't difficult, and as soon as I arrived, I saw some familiar faces.
I figured they'd be here early.
The royalty of the Minerva Empire and the Ters Republic. They were seated in the first row of the second floor, just like me, and were chatting among themselves.
I made eye contact with Leort, but I only gave him a slight nod. Leort also gave a brief greeting before returning to his conversation.
"Is this the pair of binoculars?"
"Yeah. Give them a try."
I spent some time testing out the binoculars placed at each seat.
Ssssh—
It seemed the performance was about to begin. The lights that had brightly illuminated the interior began to dim, and darkness settled in.
As the darkness fell, the murmuring of the crowd grew louder.
Come to think of it, they didn't even light candles; how did they keep the building so bright?
Was that also replaced by magic? I couldn't fathom how much of a budget had been poured into this single building.
Eventually, the commotion of the crowd, sensing the start of the show, began to die down. Just as complete silence settled over the hall...
[Just once...]
Suddenly, a deep, middle-aged man's voice filled the building. At the same time...
[If only I could see her smile just once...]
Flash!
A visual filled my entire field of vision. No, it wasn't just a visual.
[Elisha...]
A 'movie' began to play.