Chapter 158
Chapter 158
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 158
Chapter Title: Rosalind Takes the Stage
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The rehearsal ended successfully.
No, actually, it couldn’t exactly be called successful.
‘I forgot more lines than I expected.’
Probably because the preparation period was so short.
Still, it wasn’t bad quality for an extracurricular arts club performance.
‘The problem is that the president has different goals.’
“…On the main stage…”
The president pinched the bridge of his nose.
“It’ll be a disaster. I know you’re all focused on your studies, but as students of the Imperial Second Academy, you don’t half-ass assigned tests.”
There was a reason the president was acting like this.
A judge was attending today’s performance.
It was a review hosted by the Imperial Ministry of Culture. Passing here meant performing not at school, but at the palace.
‘Do we really have to go that far with the play…?’
I didn’t particularly want to, but if we advanced, Rosalind wouldn’t be played by me.
I’d only agreed to this one time after getting a promise to always swap the protagonist to Adelbert from now on.
“Even if it’s just an arts club, we have the pride of the Imperial Second Academy! We can’t drop out in the preliminaries!”
‘His passion is impressive.’
I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated myself, but since I couldn’t hog the lead role forever, I planned to give it my all.
“Alright, it starts in ten minutes, so get into position. I’ll be right back.”
The president clapped his hands and said.
We headed backstage.
The two characters who appeared first were already out on stage, waiting just behind the curtain.
As I stared intently at my script, the announcer’s voice signaling the start of the play echoed from beyond, followed by applause.
‘The sound is louder than I thought.’
How many people were there?
[Adam.]
The voice of my underclassman, who was playing the other lead, reached me.
[As I recall, Father willed me an inheritance of 1,000 crowns in his last testament. He asked my brother Oliver to raise me well. If you seek blessings, speak. But who could have known? That it would be the start of my misfortune!]
‘She’s doing great.’
“Underclassman!”
Just then, the club president, who had stepped out, rushed backstage.
Panting, the president said.
“Underclassman, didn’t you get first place in the second round?”
“Yes.”
At the president’s grave expression, the faces of the other club members around us hardened too.
The president swallowed hard and said seriously.
“Right now…!”
“Yes.”
“Thanks to you placing first, we’ve got a ton of audience members!”
“Huh, really?!”
“Wow~”
“…….”
All the club members were clapping, but I couldn’t join in.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“What do you mean? They want to see the face of the top scorer. And you’re famous personally too.”
Famous from Pleroma, sure…
Just then, the sound of the curtain dropping rang out.
A staff member dashed backstage.
“Act 1, Scene 2—go!”
“Underclassman, you’re up. Oh, and I made a deposit earlier when I stepped out.”
The president flashed a fully satisfied thumbs-up.
A deposit? What?
Suppressing a hollow laugh, I stepped onto the stage and leaned against the bench prop.
The curtain, black without lights, separated the audience from the stage.
The student going on with me sat beside me and turned toward me.
Looking at him, tense as could be, I quietly said.
“Hanna, your first line is ‘My beloved sister, Rosalind. Please smile happily for my sake.’ Got it?”
“…Y-Yes…!”
“If you forget a line, I’ll improvise, so don’t stress.”
“Yes…!”
Could the president really get us to the palace?
He was still so pumped up that I gave up hoping otherwise.
Then, a staff member at the waiting area gave a hand signal.
The curtain rose, and that same unfamiliar chill from before spread from the seats.
Pop—
Bright lights hit overhead, stinging my eyes.
I couldn’t see clearly because of the lights, but I could tell countless students were standing around the seats.
It was really happening.
‘No way, these guys… they’re doing standing room?’
Ding—!
Favor +1
Favor +2
Favor +1
“…….”
Even with Georg Ascanien as Rosalind, they were showering me with favor.
Ignoring the whispers from the audience, I acted out the protagonist’s expression.
The student playing my cousin opened her mouth a beat late.
“My beloved sister, please smile.”
“…….”
Half the line gone?
I nearly burst out laughing for real in disbelief.
‘Well, the audience probably won’t notice this much.’
If mistakes stayed at this level, I could cover for them.
It wasn’t Adelbert’s fault I’d taken on Rosalind, but I wanted to see him play her at the palace.
‘That guy needs to memorize the script cold too.’
Twisting one corner of my mouth, I raised my head.
“My dear Celia. I’m already trying to look merrier than usual. You want me even more cheerful?”
“No, what I meant was…!”
Good.
She followed well.
Standing from my seat, I stared out at the audience.
“Rather than recalling merry thoughts, forgetting my banished father would be quicker.”
* * *
‘It’s over.’
The moment my lines fully ended, I went out and drank some water.
Perfect timing—the final scene was wrapping up too.
[Come on, let’s continue. Keep going! It’ll end fun, just like always!]
Surprisingly, favor kept pouring in.
Especially when I went full usual style, I got another early shower of it. The image change made me seem like a different character, apparently.
‘More than that, no one’s complaining about the initial visual?’
No complaints, just raking in favor—it was absurd but satisfying.
Lucas René Ascanien
Title: Sir Nicolaus
Stamina: +3.6 [+6.6]
Mental Strength: +3.0
Mana: ?
Skills: +4.8 [+7.8]
Impression: -7.0 [+1] [+8.095]
Luck: +4.2
Traits: Dawn777, Divine Power, Charm (Lv.5), Retry (Lv.1)
‘+1.’
Now, more people at this school thought positively of me than negatively.
Not just second-year magic department students, but first- through third-years from other departments I didn’t even know.
After curtain call, I went down from the stage.
I tried heading back, but couldn’t slip away immediately.
While greeting some audience members, Elias waved from afar.
“Luka!”
He pointed behind him.
Sure enough, fifty students sat way back. I spotted friends waving.
“They really dragged everyone here! Our class says your acting was amazing!”
“Yeah, it was good…”
I wasn’t sure if I should point out he wasn’t listening at all, or just accept it since impression went positive.
“Here, this one’s yours~”
Elias handed me a bouquet, then waved a small one he held.
“This came for you too. Someone left it on an empty seat.”
“Oh?”
Taking the bouquet, I spotted a note with my name.
Unfolding it revealed typewritten text.
[Audienz dubioses schockiertes]
“…Hm?”
Elias peeked over and asked.
“What’s that say?”
“No idea.”
The phrasing wasn’t natural at all.
‘Shocking the dubious audience?’
Or shocked dubious audience?
If I forced it, maybe.
In other words, it didn’t connect.
Unnecessary twists, unnatural word combos, no period.
Fine, no period, but the structure looked like zero Korean speakers wrote it. Wait, wrong context—zero German.
If they meant ‘the audience was shocked,’ ‘Das Publikum war schockiert’ would work.
“Drunk typing? What’s it mean?”
“Elias. No idea who sent it?”
“Nope.”
I looked at the other club members.
No one else had a similar bouquet.
“…….”
Elias exchanged glances with me, then took the bouquet with the note.
“Hmm~ Better safe. I’ll handle it. Cool?”
“Yeah.”
Not problematic phrasing, but caution never hurt.
I dusted off my gloves.
Then, I spotted a familiar face among the judges with badges. At the same time, he looked my way.
“…Huh?!”
Elias, mid-step, froze with his mouth agape.
If I hadn’t controlled my expression, I’d have reacted the same.
One judge who met my eyes approached slowly and stood before me.
“Lucas Ascanien, right?”
“…….”
The man in front of me was Marian Baum.
He folded the review sheet he held and tucked it into his folder, then smiled leisurely at me.
First time seeing him in three and a half weeks.
Last time, I’d left without proper goodbyes or explanations. I’d planned to visit over the weekend, but Pleroma contaminating the nation killed that time.
“Yes. That’s me.”
“Our troupe is recruiting promising student actors to train as performers. I watched your Rosalind from start to finish—it was so natural, like if she’d truly existed, it couldn’t have been better.”
The surroundings quieted. I saw students’ mouths drop.
To them, it probably looked like a casting call. And Marian Baum was indeed saying that.
“…….”
“Of course, it’s not optimized for theater, but that’s exactly what our troupe wants right now.”
Marian Baum spoke as smoothly as flowing water.
“If you’re free after this, could you spare a moment?”
* * *
Of course, this wasn’t a casting.
I followed him to a café, running a hand through my awkwardly cut hair from before.
“You could’ve just beckoned me out.”
“That’d lack sincerity. People might suspect ties to a Bavarian director otherwise. Anyway…”
Marian Baum sat, straightened his clothes, and looked at me.
“Long time no see, Dietrich Granah.”
“…….”
Calling me that name on purpose?
I debated starting with an apology, studying his face.
His mouth curved into a smile. His eyes, more fatigued than a month ago, held unexpected warmth.
Mirroring him, I smiled and said.
“…Yeah. Feels like a year since last month. How’ve you been, sir?”
At the honorific, Marian Baum chuckled softly.
“Is this the feeling? Being called ‘sir’ by Bavaria’s next chancellor—time to drop the neck-flying jokes.”
Ignoring his pointed jest, I asked.
“Am I really called that?”
“Receiving support from His Majesty and the Crown Prince? Naturally. Who’d pay to see a proto-human act from centuries ago… Worth the trip.”
Marian Baum laughed heartily, so I swallowed a choke and asked.
“…Must look weird to proto-human eyes, huh?”
“Hahaha! Can’t deny it. Build and vibe are just different.”
“…….”
“Still, as a New Human knight, you’re pretty natural. Popular faces transcend gender without dissonance.”
I’d thought he held nothing back since acting lessons, and yep.
He treated me like we’d never met Sir Nicolaus in the catacombs.
Like he had with Dietrich Granah.
‘Planning to ask about it?’
Awkward, but my fault, so I had to address it. Smiling, I gazed at him and quietly asked.
“Not mad at me?”
Marian Baum glanced, then sipped his tea.
“Lie if I said no.”
“…….”
“Brief lapse. My fault for bringing Granah there—my vigilance failed.”
“You had no fault; it was calculated. I studied how to win you over. Who could dodge that?”
“Sounds like a knight with a high success rate? Impressive life, succeeding at everything you touch.”
I eyed him—you’re joking now?—but he just chuckled dryly.
“You missed catacombs vibes. No one there blames Sir Nicolaus. Without you, could we have diverted His Majesty’s gaze?”
“…….”
I nodded silently.
“Thanks for thinking that.”
“You should visit the catacombs yourself. No need for this humility—you’d feel it.”
Appreciating his tact, I just smiled.
Sensing the mood lighten, he shifted topics.
“I got your mail. Catacombs is contaminated too—without your help, we’d have lost countless personnel. Here to thank you personally.”
“Glad it helped.”
The day I realized Pleroma switched drugs, I mailed his troupe.
Didn’t expect actual use, but good.
‘But he wouldn’t come just for that.’
As I thought it, he spoke.
“Actually, two things to discuss. First… separate catacombs tests showed differences from your research.”
“Differences?”
“That’ll take time, so later. Second, a question for you.”
“What?”
He slid over several black-and-white photos.
[Bocuse dasitzende risikoscheu]
[Cookie diesseits zuschraubend]
[Diözesan dubiose tückischeres]
“Unintelligible phrases started appearing all over the catacombs. Know anything?”