Chapter 92
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Play (2)
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Two hours before the play The Bard began.
Elise was gazing down at the first floor from the second floor of Palette Theater.
Endex was on the verge of bursting at the seams. Even as dusk slowly settled in, the streetlights blazed brightly, and people were everywhere—inside buildings, in the park, on the lawns, at roadside stalls.
"Elise! They're about to start seating! It's sold out!"
Rae Hilton was bouncing around excitedly beside her.
The 600 pre-sale tickets and 1,600 on-site tickets had all sold out.
Nearly all 100 VIP invitees had shown up too, so the front of the theater was now lined with luxury cars, a red carpet, security guards, and reporters.
A fitting spectacle for Edshilla's most prestigious mana high school festival.
"...Where's Sion?"
Elise asked first about Sion Askal.
"He just got here! But he's in the waiting room now."
"I see. Good."
The closer the time came, the more anxious Elise grew as the event loomed.
Could Sion Askal really pull off the play?
Realistically, it was a stretch. Some actors had practiced daily for two weeks and could barely remember a few lines and screams.
Like the one right next to her.
"...Rae. You memorized all your lines, right?"
She asked out of unease. Rae gave her a look of disbelief.
"Don't bite your nails, Elise. You're shaking more than I am."
"..."
She kept wanting to chew her nails—a habit she'd barely broken as a child. Aside from PTSD, this was the most psychologically taxing thing she'd faced lately.
"What’s Sion doing in the waiting room? Makeup?"
"Makeup's done. But he said he needed to prepare something... like reviewing his memories or whatever... Ah, I'm so nervous."
"..."
He'd bragged earlier that he didn't even need to memorize lines.
Still, the Duke didn't appear until Act 2 anyway. If he needed time, he had a bit more leeway than the others.
About 30 minutes extra?
"...Time to get ready. You too, Rae."
There'd be no final rehearsal anyway. All because some useless guy got hit by a car five hours before the play—on the day of. Might as well have gotten hit sooner. Might as well have died.
"Got it. Oh, Esher and Kain are here too. Want me to call them?"
"No."
Elise shook her head.
"He needs to become the Bard. Let him be alone."
Method acting. She planned to slowly immerse herself in the script from now on.
In the actors' waiting room at Palette Theater, I sat alone, staring into the mirror.
The reflection looked remarkably like the Duke from my memories.
I'd specifically requested the makeup artist to do it that way, even sketching it out.
"Face turned out decent."
The man who'd played the Duke in this Bard back then shot to stardom in the musical scene with that single role.
His Duke had been ominous, inscrutable, mystical, cold, and magnetic.
Now I had to emulate him. Take the stage and recreate his Duke through method acting.
"...Hoo."
It'd be tough. Complicated too. What was a regressor like me doing in some play?
Anyway, the Duke was a complex character. His very existence was a spoiler.
In the play, the Bard kills the head maid, interior minister, baron, prince, queen, and king—but in the blood-soaked palace at the end, he confronts the Duke.
Through their dialogue, the Bard realizes.
That the Duke was the one who'd murdered his mother.
That he'd recognized the Bard at first sight.
And yet, he'd used him to kill the king and queen, to devour the kingdom.
Enraged, the Bard fights the Duke and nearly kills him—but then the final twist, the ultimate spoiler...
Watch it in the theater for the rest.
"Ugh, annoying."
Irritation surged suddenly. I sighed involuntarily. I resented Miller.
"That lunatic should've just taken the subway."
Traffic was bad enough—why drive and cause this mess? Because of him, I was suffering through this unwanted acting gig...
Focus.
Resenting him wouldn't bring that college kid back to life. He wasn't dead, just hospitalized.
Might as well have died.
"...Tch."
More importantly, any coffee around?
Even instant would do. A cup would hit the spot right now.
As I scanned the waiting room.
Knock knock—
—Sion! One hour till the play starts! Audience is filing in!
Rae called from outside.
—You ready~?
"Perfect timing. Hey, can you grab me a coffee?"
—Huh? Coffee! On it!
Rae scurried off, then burst back in moments later, flinging the door open.
"Here's your coffee! Café latte..."
She handed it over and looked at me. Her eyes widened slowly. She flinched. The coffee sloshed in her grip.
I asked.
"What. Why."
"...You're not Sion! Who are you?!"
Rae suddenly yelled.
"You're crazy."
I snatched the coffee from her hand.
"...What. You really are Sion?"
Her suspicious eyes scanned me up and down, then her lips pouted into something like a smile.
"Ooh... All dressed up, you look kinda decent—"
"Shut up and get out. I need to concentrate."
"—Eek!"
I shooed Rae out and set the latte on the table.
Doping right before the play, just in case.
Setablax. A luxury enchanted sedan with full tinting on the windows—you couldn't see in from outside, but from inside, you had a crystal-clear view outward, even magnified like a magnifying glass.
Jade switched between dozens of sedans depending on his mood, but this was his favorite for ground travel.
"Cockroaches."
From within, Jade muttered while gazing out at Endex campus.
Too many people.
Like roaches crawling out of eggs, festival-season Endex teemed not just with families, couples, and tourists, but reporters too.
Self-proclaimed "celebrities" visiting their alma mater were common sights. They had entourages of bodyguards, but to Jade—a "real noble"—they seemed tacky.
Lowly pests making a fuss. Their flailing limbs, brushing fabrics, flashing teeth—all grated on Jade's nerves.
"Young Master Jade. Lots of cameras and reporters."
The driver slowed the sedan as he spoke.
"I know."
He wanted to just get out, but family rules were absolute.
Libra bloodline must never become subjects for mere press or media.
They'd even developed their own artifact solely for that purpose.
"Stop somewhere appropriate."
In other words: "Pick the spot that's most visible without stealing the spotlight."
"Yes."
The driver understood perfectly and eased the sedan right up to the VIP red carpet.
Jade toyed with the necklace in his pocket.
Diamond-grade top-tier artifact: Sea Fog of the Scales.
Wearing it ensured no camera—smartphone, lens, or film—captured the wearer's form. Just a hazy fog.
No media had photos of direct Libra descendants thanks to this.
To Jade, it was a "curse."
"Suffocating."
He grumbled as he put on the necklace. He resented the family rule. Preserving Libra's flawless features for posterity was a noble's duty, no?
That explained why, despite the eldest son, daughter, and youngest avoiding public eyes, Jade roamed freely.
"I'm getting out."
Five minutes to curtain. Jade spoke as outside attention peaked.
"Yes."
The driver exited first.
Kyaah—
A massive wave of gasps and cheers seeped through as the front door opened and closed. Jade smirked faintly.
Soon, the driver opened the rear door. Jade stepped out casually, as always. The red carpet lay right before him. As his foot touched it, the area fell silent—stunned by his appearance.
Thud—as Jade's second foot landed.
——Kyaaaaaah!
Screams erupted, pure adoration.
Indeed, commoners deserved such thrills occasionally. Rewards for their menial labor and hamster-wheel lives.
Jade strode the carpet like a model outdoing models.
"Young Master Jade. This way."
Endex-hired guards escorted him to his seat. A decent VIP section.
Fitting for an alma mater. Not bad for a high school festival.
As Jade sat, the self-proclaimed celebs swarmed.
"Young Master Jade. You really came?"
"An honor. Do you remember last week's knight order incident?"
"You're always perfect, no matter when I see you..."
Chaebol heirs, renowned knights, film stars—they'd gathered somewhat fitting company. But compared to Libra, utterly insignificant.
"Young Master Jade. I hear the Libra Knight Order is holding trials lately. Selecting direct-line guards?"
"Indeed."
"Limto Mine's reopening soon, right? Bound to yield massive mana stones. Congratulations."
"Estimated at 100 million tons."
As he tossed back small talk.
...Click.
Lights dimmed, plunging the stage into darkness. Audience chatter faded.
Jade rested his chin on his hand boredly. He checked his watch before the play even started.
Just one minute passed.
Whooooosh———
Wind howled, stage brightened, and mana-infused silver curtains projected scenery.
Everywhere became a park.
A pond bubbled, birds chirped.
In its center, an actress appeared. Each click of her heels rippled with aura.
Even Jade raised an eyebrow at her elegance and beauty.
Elise Petra.
She seized the audience's attention with her presence alone.