Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Before the Festival (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday had arrived.
The official start of the festival.
Endex's main gate stood wide open, and the streets were packed with stalls and crowds, but Elise's theater troupe was still focused solely on rehearsals and practice.
The eight actors and eighteen staff members were all gathered together, concentrating intensely around the script and storyboards.
Thanks to the prestige of the attending VIPs, not only the actors but even the staff were brimming with enthusiasm.
"......Let's take a short break and start from the beginning again."
As the first practice session of the day wrapped up, Rae clapped and brought over a handkerchief.
"Wow, Elise~ Your singing is amazing~"
Elise wiped the sweat from her brow with the handkerchief. Miller, who played the duke—the de facto second lead—also applauded.
"Right? Especially your pronunciation has gotten incredible. What's your secret?"
"The fruits of practice."
It was a learning efficiency that even Elise herself found astonishing, all thanks to the pitch-perfect tone and flawless pronunciation of Headlipnida.
Miller said,
"Pulling it up this much in such a short time through practice alone? You're a genius. Your pronunciation's even better than Stephanie's."
Elise fought to suppress the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Elation and despair were the mindsets to avoid most in life, after all.
For the record, Stephanie was a famous musical theater actress.
"Thank you for the praise."
She sat on the sofa for a brief rest. She immediately plugged earphones into her ears and played La Vercit by Headlipnida.
This wasn't mere appreciation.
She wasn't the type to get swept away emotionally by something. Rather, she was rational, the kind who analyzed and deconstructed her own feelings.
So, as she listened to Headlipnida's La Vercit, she kept searching for her own shortcomings and devising ways to improve even further.
She'd been listening to it all day, so she was starting to feel a bit sick of it, but the more it fatigued her, the greater her curiosity grew.
Just who the hell was Headlipnida?
They had to be someone refined and cultured. Maybe a professor versed in the humanities. Or perhaps a fallen scholar guarding lost knowledge.
Yeah, the fallen scholar angle felt most convincing.
It made sense for someone strapped for cash to scatter flyers around Endex and sell their knowledge without reservation. It all fit together perfectly.
And listen to the emotion and tremor in the tone echoing in her ears right now.
What kind of story could forge such depth? What twists and turns? The more she mulled it over, the more her curiosity swelled...
That was what crossed her mind while reviewing the roughly four-minute La Vercit.
"......Elise. Can we push the second practice back about 10 minutes?"
The moment Elise removed her earphones, the duke—no, Miller—asked.
"Why?"
"I've got an urgent call. Mind if I take it?"
She glanced at Miller. He was clutching his smartphone with both hands like it was precious. Maybe a call from his mentor?
"Sure. Go ahead."
Elise replied nonchalantly.
......
Mel Elstrom, the only son of the Elstrom family's eldest son, had his pride wounded.
Twice, in fact.
The first time was at the prestigious Selena Academy, by Elise.
After enrolling as a student there, Mel hadn't beaten Elise even once in ten years.
Of course, it wasn't a razor-thin margin that would truly bruise his ego, and everyone at the academy had expected Elise to take top overall honors anyway. Still.
It was what it was.
The second time was at the College Board, by... whoever that was.
Some coward had stabbed him in the back with dirty tricks, dropping him to mid-tier in that assignment—a straight-up terrorist act.
But the Elstrom family wasn't one to just take it lying down.
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth.
They always repaid grudges, and as for favors... do as you please.
Mel would adhere strictly to that family creed.
—So, just do exactly as I say?
"Yeah, that's right. You don't trust me?"
The scheming and plotting took place in the depths of the Elstrom mansion, via smartphone.
—It's not that I don't trust you... but Libra's coming too, you know.
"Nah, it's fine, totally fine~ All your brother has to do is end up in the hospital. What are they gonna do? It's just an accident hospitalization."
Mel's Elstrom family wielded massive influence in the arts, particularly theater, musicals, and film.
His family's 'Elstrom Brothers'—run by his siblings—was a major studio that dominated the movie industry.
—......So just make sure it's a traffic accident.
"You got it~ We'll take care of your career from the Elstrom side. You know that, right?"
So, there were plenty of ways to sweet-talk an aspiring actor in college.
Just slot them into an upcoming blockbuster before it started filming.
—Then hit him with a car for real. Make it 5-6 weeks of recovery.
"What? That's okay?"
—It has to be that bad or it'll look suspicious.
"Hahaha. Got it."
His call partner was Miller, the national university theater and film major playing a key role in Elise's play this time.
Some duke role or whatever. Mel didn't know the details, but apparently it was second only to the lead—irreplaceable.
"I'll make sure it's solid. No suspicions."
—......Then I'll go to that movie audition. Keep your promise. At least a supporting role. Got it?
"Supporting role? Come on, lead... ing... role. We'll see when the time comes."
—Alright! Thanks. Gotta go now. If I'm late, it'll raise flags.
"Yeah."
Mel ended the call. He sank fully into the massage chair, smartphone set aside.
"Heh heh heh..."
A comfortable smile spread across his face as he muttered,
"Elise, and... whatever that guy's name was. Screw both of you."
Here I stood in the heart of the festival. It was clearly Endex's campus, but packed with non-students, all dressed to the nines. Wearing my bear costume alone, the word slipped out on its own: festival vibes.
"Festival vibes."
—Magic show! Magic show! Pure sleight-of-hand, no mana spells!
—Come see the circus~
—Hotteok for sale~
Tons of freshmen and clubs hawking their wares. Those hotteok kids—Gerkken got his for free, but they charged me 2 ren.
Anyway, day one wouldn't have any big events. Elise would be stuck in the small theater practicing all day.
"......Is this what it takes to be a hawker?"
I was in the middle of some voluntary hawking myself.
I'd already plastered the theater flyers Elise gave me all over Endex, and now I had the bear head on.
"Ahh. Ahh."
Testing my voice, I was about to announce, 'Theater at Palette Theater on Friday. Come buy tickets!' when—
"Friday, Palet—"
—Ahh! Ahh! Everyone! How much do you know about swordsmanship?!
Some loudspeaker drowned out my voice.
—Is there anyone here who can make me take even a single step from this spot?
Pretty annoying voice.
The tone, the delivery—super grating.
—Entry fee is 10 ren. Make me budge a step, and I'll pay you ten times that!
Super annoying Esher.
—Ah, yes. I'm Esher. Official disciple of the Granden Mirror Swordsmanship Academy, former vice president of the swordsmanship club 'Sword Sword Sword'... Ah, photo? Of course!
Seemed like he was promoting his old club, drawing in passersby.
—Any challengers? Challengers? Come on~ Make me take one step, and ten times the prize!
Esher swung the wooden sword around as he spoke.
For reference, this guy was an elite 5-star prospect trained at the Granden Mirror dojo. Not on Gerkken or Soliet's level, of course, but he could handle most college students.
"C-Can I try?!"
—Yes, yes. Come on up.
A few enthusiastic civilians stepped up. They swung at Esher with wooden swords, but he blocked effortlessly.
—During festival season, visit the 'Sword Sword Sword' club at Melon Hall. Try swordsmanship, buy souvenirs, and if you're lucky, you might even spot me, Esher.
One hand casually parrying the challengers' swings, the other blasting promo on the megaphone.
It was rubbing me the wrong way.
Might as well give it a shot. Perfectly disguised already.
I approached.
"Thanks for your hard work. Oho~ This one's a cute bear."
A challenger had just backed off, and Esher pointed at me.
Onlookers snickered. I handed 10 ren to an Endex underclassman who looked like a club member beside Esher.
"Ooh~ The bear challenges. Here, take it. Guess I need to get serious?"
Esher grinned and tossed me a wooden sword.
"Come at me. Full throttle."
I gripped the wooden sword and loosened up.
Quick assessment: if he activates Mana Body, tough win.
No Mana Body, and my combat experience and athleticism crush him.
Esher was unenhanced right now.
"Why so scared? Go all out."
Esher spread his arms wide.
I stepped forward and swung the wooden sword. Whoosh... as slow as possible. Like a total amateur who'd never held a sword.
"Haha."
Esher laughed at the turtle-slow strike. I waited for that instant and whipped the blade hard and fast.
"!"
Esher frantically raised his wooden sword. Too late. The sudden speed shift smacked his blade aside, lifting both his feet off the ground.
I stuck out my hand. Pay up, 100 ren.
"Ah...... Hmm. Not bad. Ha, ha. Haha. Ha."
Esher laughed. Smile on his face, but his lips quivered. Pretty pissed, huh.
"Good. One step, so 100 ren. But here's the deal: win a rematch, and I'll pay ten times that."
Esher pulled out ten 100-ren bills and handed them to his underclassman.
"Same rules. Just make me take one step. Then walk away with 1,000 ren."
Thinking of activating Mana Body now?
I scanned him up and down. No mana traces.
Makes sense. Guy's got pride for days.
I nodded, and Esher smirked.
"Alright. Duel on. But no holding back this time. Fancy tricks, huh? You've trained somewhere."
Whether he's careful or not, I've got options.
First was the tempo-changing feint sword. This time, shatter orthodoxy with a flash draw.
I sheathed the wooden sword at my waist.
"Ooh~ Seen some dramatic flicks? Iaido stuff—that's all fantasy. No scabbard anyway, so what draw?"
As Esher said, a quick draw was just 'drawing the sword fast.'
But what made Soliet's flash draw different?
Simple.
Mana ignites in that split-second draw.
Yet even here, the flash draw defies common sense.
The mana ignition resides not in the sword, but the 'drawing motion' itself.
The explosive mana loads purely into the action, unleashing the blade at timings no orthodoxy can predict, smashing guards...
I gripped the hilt. Drew it upward. Esher met it without slacking, but the moment blades clashed—
Kwaaaang—!
"Hngh—!"
A choking gasp erupted. He let out a strangled scream and flew back. Crashed into the park flowerbed.
"Uh, ugh......"
All eyes on the grass-embedded guy.
I held out my hand to his underclassman. He dazedly forked over 1,000 ren. Stuffed it into the costume.
"Ahh, feels good."
Hand fitting snug on the hilt, great impact feel. 'Cause it's Esher, maybe.
"Man, hungry now. Gotta grab something."
But one flash draw emptied my stomach. Worst fuel efficiency ever, but oh well.
Scored some pocket money—screw hawking. Time to enjoy the festival.