Chapter 62
Chapter 62
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magic Noble House
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What?”
Faust disappeared?
What happens if Faust vanishes from the Faust play?
Elias and I exchanged brief glances.
“Oswald went out and hasn’t come back. Leo, do you know anything?”
So the student playing Faust was Oswald.
The name rang a bell—he was one of the guys from the secret club.
A Bavarian, he’d been tight with Leo since the third training academy.
‘It’s... seven o’clock now.’
It was around one when I parted ways with Naruke. Knowing exactly when he vanished meant his castmates must’ve bumped into him briefly.
Leo asked calmly.
“Where was he last seen?”
“The practice room. He went out to buy a beard... and never returned.”
“...Why’d he need to buy...?”
“Faust’s an ancient human. I forgot about their features.”
I figured they’d bring up the old Faust tale, but no.
Then again, humanity had evolved so much that modern mages didn’t have beards. To these guys, it made sense as an ancient human trait.
Unlike me, Leo nodded right away and asked.
“Did he say when he’d be back?”
“Nope. He just said he’d grab the materials and return, but five hours to shop? That’s too much.”
“Something must’ve come up.”
“Yeah~ I could buy two or three hours, but five is way too long.”
Elias chimed in.
One student spoke in a despairing tone.
“What if he doesn’t show before curtain? He’s the lead. What were we even doing for two weeks...?”
“......”
No one could respond.
Maybe if we wait, he’ll show?
But after five hours without a peep, telling them to just hold tight felt off. If something happened, he might not make it.
Leo rubbed his temple and said.
“Anyone else memorize the script?”
“Naruke knows it roughly...”
Leo bit the inside of his lip.
What good was the counterpart knowing the lines in this mess?
They still needed Naruke’s role filled.
Plus, he just knew it casually—not word-perfect on lines and blocking that weren’t his.
Elias asked lightly.
“What about double-casting? You ask Naruke?”
“That’d confuse the audience. Not everyone’s there for theater. If it’s too niche, they’ll walk out...”
“Oh, wait! I’m not even sure Naruke knows it. Just my guess.”
One student hurriedly clarified.
Leo stood, gesturing to the friends who’d sought him out.
“First, tell the professor, then let’s go look. You guys come too.”
“Yeah, got it.”
Then one student ventured cautiously.
“Leo, shouldn’t we prepare for not finding him? Hitting the exact timing in this huge capital is like finding a needle in a haystack. There’s four more festival schools.”
“Then find a stand-in first. Anyone know even a bit of Faust?”
“The Gretchen girl knows some...”
The student muttered uncertainly.
From what I knew, Gretchen had a hefty supporting role.
‘If she does it, who covers her part...?’
Leo’s brow furrowed, as expected.
“...She won’t do. Someone we practiced with would be smoother. I’ll tell the professor, so can you check for swaps with Faust now?”
“Yeah, got it. I’ll ask around. Meet back here later.”
The students rushed out.
Elias watched them go and clicked his tongue.
“They worked so hard. Sucks for them.”
“Yeah. He better show before curtain. Where’d he go?”
“Five hours AWOL knowing practice was on? Weird. He likes fun, but ditching his role? Not him.”
I agreed with Elias.
From memory, he was loud but responsible. Leo wouldn’t have brought him otherwise.
‘Something feels off.’
“...Yeah. I’ll head to the professor.”
Leo left, and soon the students returned.
They desperately avoided my gaze, turning to Elias.
“Elias, where’s Leo?”
“Not back. Anyone for Faust?”
“Nope.... Too many lines for the lead.”
“Who’d you ask?”
“All the theater kids. Naruke’s willing, but no one to swap with Mephistopheles.”
“Right, devil’s got tons too~”
One student asked Elias timidly.
“...Elias, wanna do Mephistopheles? Truth is, we wanted you first.”
“What, an insult?”
“N-no! But Naruke got it anyway!”
“Yeah, whatever. If gibberish flies, I’m in.”
Elias leaned back, smirking.
The student clung to hope.
“Read Faust ever?”
“Yeah.”
They exchanged looks.
“Improv okay...? Could work.”
“Let’s try. Elias, I read, you hit next line.”
“Said I read it, not memorized. Go on.”
Elias crossed arms, nodding.
The student flipped the script and recited.
“You types? Name alone tells me enough. Anyway, who are you?”
“I’m Mephistopheles.”
“......”
“Ah....”
“No good.”
Elias gripped the armrest and shot up.
“What?! Textbook response! What’s it say?”
“I’m the force that always wants evil but always works good.”
Elias blinked, then spoke.
“...Joking?”
“......”
“Who asks who, and you say that!”
“But they do! That’s why we memorize... Ah, no. Improv flops. Audience packs in, but it’ll devolve into chaos.”
“Give him Faust?”
They whispered. Elias clapped, face lit with challenge.
“Do it! Come at me. I’ll play along.”
“Fine, I’ll cue Mephisto.”
The student inhaled sharply.
“You amuse me. Let’s get along. I’m here as a young noble to ease your woes. So heed me: dress like me now.”
“Huh? Why should I?”
“...Not done. Then you’ll truly experience life.”
“Hmm? Hahaha! Change clothes and woes vanish? Life too simple? If that fixed it, I wouldn’t be moping here.”
Their eyes widened.
“Whoa! That was good.”
“Broke line to 1/10... but it flows?!”
“Yeah. How to trim? Next needs instinct.”
Script in hand, the student pressed his forehead and spoke.
“I can fix those woes. Not the greatest, but join me in the world, and I’ll obey your wishes.”
“...Hm, really? No catch.”
Elias curled his lip greedily.
“......”
“How much you gonna milk...”
“Not you—Faust! Hesitate once!”
“Hey, don’t expect too much from a casual reader~”
Elias laughed at the jab, reclining again.
They scribbled notes, conferring.
“Choppy. Faust should ask price... but Mephisto dodges.”
“One slip, and gaps everywhere. Can next guy cover seamless?”
“Tough. Gretchen girl won’t improv. No go.”
Faces darkened again.
Elias tapped the table for attention.
“Hey, why not. I’ll do it.”
“No, even if next covers, your style cuts Faust over half—tons of time left.... We compressed heavy; three hours to add, memorize? Short.”
“I’ll fill gaps. Speak your mind, whatever.”
Half-swayed, they exchanged looks and shook heads fiercely.
“Nah. Feels like our class gets punished if we let you.”
Then Leo returned.
They ignored Elias’s glare, greeting Leo.
“Hey, Leo!”
“What’s up? Stand-in?”
“No. Too many lines for three hours.”
Leo sighed knowingly.
“Yeah.... Professor’s calling other schools. Let’s search now.”
“Stand-in?”
“No one, so no choice. If no-show by 30-min warning, off the roster. Max search till then.”
They fell silent, glum.
One glanced back at me mid-turn, started to speak, but a friend’s nudge made him vanish.
Elias tsked, turning to me.
“Let’s do our thing. Spy on Class 1-A? Curious how boring their rehearsal is.”
“No stamp, cool?”
“Oh, right.”
Like Naruke, Elias hanging with me didn’t raise brows.
His unpredictability had perks.
Elias scanned around.
“Anything you’ve wanted to try~?”
“Leo said the same.”
“Haha! First festival for you.”
No retort.
Playtime aside, the missing kid bugged me.
‘Not slacking, no matter how I spin it.’
No way for me to search now, so wait for prof and Leo.
Sun down, air chilled. Winter robe no match for face-biting wind. I stood, pointing to the student center with practice rooms.
“Skip stamp. Like you said, peep Class 1-A play.”
* * *
Class 1-A’s room buzzed wildly.
Nearly forty of fifty crammed in, watching rehearsal—gleeful over Class 1-B’s lead MIA all practice.
“......”
All chalking it to slacking.
Zero crime worries.
Ten onstage, yet whole class hyped....
Likely rivalry-fueled.
Elias, affiliation vague, strolled corridors boredly eyeing windows.
A Class 1-A exiting spotted him, yelled.
“Elias! Who you rooting?”
“Dunno? Guess.”
“Class 1-B.”
“Who knows. Festival-wise, new song’s off.”
“Faust fits?”
Elias shrugged.
Didn’t seem ideal to him either.
The kid cocked brow dramatically, teasing.
“Anyway, Class 1-B leadless~ Solo Mephisto?”
“He’ll show.”
“Heard a first-year gone half-day. Knew? Magic first-years asking everywhere.”
“Yeah, sure. Gotcha.”
Elias brushed off vaguely.
‘......’
Another no-show?
Festival day, lots out—but hunting specifically meant suspicion.
Split from group, or dipped “briefly” and ghosted.
‘Should report proper, not solo search.’
Festival laxed guards.
“Elias.”
“Yeah~?”
“...Never mind.”
Harsh, but school won’t buy Elias.
Can’t grab randos for reports—find Naruke to relay.
Then our vice rep hit student center, handing scripts to Class 1-B.
Elias waved his.
“Memorize now?”
“Yeah, try.”
“Under two hours! Improv?”
“No, tried—crashed in ten. Fine for bits, but no endgame pull. Huge gaps.”
Elias got it, nodding sans pushback. Rehearsed improv might fly; raw, no.
“Oh, right. Lucas.”
Vice rep eyed me cautiously.
“By any chance... crammed midterms?”