It worked perfectly.
Before I could say anything, Elias’ strong claim had exchanging lines with Narce as a test. Once it was proven that I had indeed morized the entire script, the other students took it from there and pushed the situation forward.
In this short ti, we managed to rehearse the first three minutes three tis.
Surprisingly, everyone was so focused on having soone who knew the lines that no one asked for my opinion.
There was no need to ask to be pushed. I was literally pushed into it.
‘...Of course, it’s beneficial for this way.’
“We only had 20 minutes left. Actually, before you ca, the professor was about to announce that we weren’t going to perform,” Narce said, seemingly understanding my bewildered feelings and trying to comfort .
There were only a few students left in the waiting room now. Those not performing were already heading to the audience seats.
“Really.”
“But you made the right choice. It probably won’t be as problematic as you’re worried about.”
When I looked at him silently, Narce touched his forehead and continued.
“Hmm… There’s a bigger problem, though.”
“What?”
“I really don’t know. It’s just a feeling.”
Did he use his foresight ability?
On a day like today, when so many things are happening, such words are ominous.
Just then, laughter echoed from the opposite side of the waiting room.
“We have 155 people in the audience, guys!”
“Isn’t that irrelevant? They don’t even have a lead.”
“Hey, do you guys still not have your lead?”
Class 1 students were taunting us in front of the Class 2 waiting room.
Since many students knew each other from the Third Academy, they were playful without hesitation.
‘I knew it when they started comparing the number of special class attendees.’
It’s childish. It just makes laugh.
Leo also ignored their provocations and slamd the hallway door shut.
At that mont, a staff mber knocked on the door connected to the stage.
“Class 2, please co on stage now!”
It was 9:55 PM.
Narce, who stood up, nodded at .
“Let’s go. See you later.”
***
Finally, 10 PM, the scheduled start ti, arrived.
I stood behind the stage, checking the script one last ti.
As the stage lights ca on montarily, I heard murmurs from the audience.
“Are they really going through with it?”
“Are they having phistopheles do it alone?”
Laughter followed.
How loudly are they talking that I can hear them from here?
Anyway, it’s understandable. There were already about 100 people in their seats. They must be curious about how we’ll start without a protagonist.
‘If we can’t start, all 100 will just leave….’
Since we’re starting, we only need to capture the curiosity of all 100 people.
The reason I’m thinking about this now is that two supporting actors beside kept whispering about the audience count.
When they t my eyes, they imdiately shut up.
‘I wasn’t staring to tell them to be quiet.’
I checked my watch and listened to the voices coming from the stage.
It was 10:03 PM, and the last line before Faust’s entrance was being delivered.
God was making a bet with phistopheles about Faust, ending with a line to phistopheles.
[“I have never hated your kind; I grant you permission to lead my humans in your demonic ways. Go and prove yourself!”]
Thud—
With the sound, the stage lights went off, and the curtain fell.
The students’ chatter grew louder, as everyone seed to know it was ti for the protagonist to appear.
I walked onto the dark stage. The clunky heels of the props echoed loudly.
Class 2 students, moving the set, hesitated but then nodded at seriously.
‘…They look so determined….’
Well, I have to et their expectations.
I sat at the prepared desk, staring into the pitch-black void.
Shortly after, the signal to start appeared from a distance.
I slowly opened my mouth.
“…I have devoted my entire life to studying philosophy, law, and even theology, leaving no gaps in my efforts. But in the end, I have nothing to show for it.”
“…Oh?!”
“What’s going on?! Is Faust here?”
The audience beca noisy before they could even see .
Thwack—
As the curtain rose, a cool breeze rushed along the floor from the audience.
When the spotlight hit , its heat suddenly felt scorching.
Still staring to the side of the stage, I continued Faust’s lines as written in the script.
“Joy has forever left , the assurance of knowing what is right is gone, and I no longer have the confidence to teach others. I am….”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa?!”
“Hey, wait a second! What’s going on!”
The sound of chairs being bumped ca sporadically from all over.
Even without looking at the audience, I could tell what was happening. The noise from the audience drowned out my voice, and even I couldn’t hear myself.
***
The play ended successfully.
As Elias predicted, the audience exceeded 500, with the final count at 550. The small theater couldn’t hold any more.
‘And...’
Ding—
‘Starting Route 1 — 〈 Chapter 5 〉.’
「 Chapter 5. Good Things Take Ti (1) 」
Chapter 5 Special Reward
A solid support base! You have received a new impression item.
‘What’s this?’
A new impression item, huh.
I checked my status screen backstage, just before the curtain call.
Lucas Rene Askanian
Title: Sir Nicolaus
Health: 1.3 [ 4.3]
ntal Power: -1.1 ( 0.5)
Magic Power: ?
Skill: 2.7 [ 5.7]
Impression: -9.9 [-7.0] [ 6.61503261]
Luck: 1.15 ( 0.2)
Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power, Charisma (Lv.2), Retry (Lv.1)
A new slot had appeared in the impression section.
Given the -7.0 and the phrase “solid support base”....
‘It’s probably the school.’
I didn’t expect a special reward in this situation.
It seems to an that I should focus on building support among the students, and it confirms that changing Luca’s image is indeed necessary.
I checked the changeability one last ti.
Dawn 777
— Ti until the final ending ‘Chapter X. Death’: 693 days, 13 hours, 59 minutes, 21 seconds
— Changeability: 18.6% ( 0.1%p)
It’s risen again.
My intuition suggests that there was probably a slight decrease followed by a greater increase. Anyway, since so losses are necessary to gain sothing, it doesn’t matter. The final value increased, and there’s no way to know if the rise and fall were combined, so I just have to focus on each situation.
“Lucas, let’s go.”
Narce wiped his sweat and smiled, pointing to the stage. He seed in high spirits, having successfully finished the play he’d been looking forward to.
‘...It’s funny to see soone so happy after playing a demon.’
It’ll surely cause an uproar when the news gets out.
Still, for him, it must have been a joyful attempt at making his own decisions.
When all the actors gathered on stage, the stage lights ca on.
“Woooo—!”
The applause was overwhelming.
At first, the audience was silent due to the unexpected appearance of an unknown actor, but as ti passed, they separated the role from and imrsed themselves in the play. At that mont, they seed to feel no aversion to Luca.
It felt oddly like returning to reality for a mont, making it slightly difficult to recall my lines in the middle.
‘I think the Charisma trait helped a bit.’
The 30% persuasion boost of the Charisma trait.
I felt like a machine spitting out lines without proper rehearsal, but fortunately, no one laughed at my chanical delivery. If it weren’t for the 30% persuasion boost, I couldn’t explain it.
[“Ladies and gentlen, did you enjoy the play prepared by the second-year magic departnt Class 2?”]
The host’s voice resonated.
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
[“Finally, we’d like to....”]
“Aaaaaah!”
“Whoa, what’s that!”
Just then, screams erupted from the other side of the auditorium.
The students beside exchanged bewildered glances.
Far away, the entrance doors were wide open, letting light flood in.
“What’s going on? Why are they screaming?”
“…….”
Leo, who had been watching from below, gestured to the control room and approached the entrance.
But before he could get there, the students near the entrance jumped to their feet.
“Isn’t that the Class 2 kid?”
“Oswald?”
The na of the missing protagonist was heard.
Thud—
The entire auditorium lit up.
Far away, soone with half-open eyes looked around, then exhaled deeply in relief upon seeing us.
‘But….’
He was covered in blood, from his face to his school shirt.
A student behind urgently spoke up.
“Wait, what’s up with him? Why is his face like that?”
“What happened? Is he hurt?”
Lacking the strength to walk, he grabbed onto a chair and collapsed.
Thud—
“Ah!”
The students who had been half-standing around him recoiled in fear.
‘…This is….’
He really wasn’t just slacking off. His appearance clearly indicated he had been attacked.
Squeak—
[This is an announcent. From 10:45 PM today, warp magic and warp tools within the school will be unavailable. External movent for any reason will not be permitted. External visitors within the school grounds cannot leave until the investigation is complete. Please visit the administration building imdiately if you hear this announcent.]
“Hey, did you see the news?! If not, check it now!”
So students ran into the auditorium, dragging their friends out.
The atmosphere grew increasingly chaotic. Everyone now understood that this was a major incident.
The ominous feeling I had since Oswald disappeared resurfaced. I stepped off the stage and tried to recall what I had heard earlier.
‘…The first-year who was missing then….’
It was Amalia Castel.
I imdiately looked up at Leo. The loudspeaker activated again.
[This is an announcent. We are looking for first-year magic departnt Class 2 student Amalia Castel and second-year magic departnt Class 2 student Oswald Schmidt. If found, please report to the administration building or the school hospital imdiately.]
Leo’s face turned pale.
His eyes, full of confusion, road the air and finally t mine. They were filled with an unfamiliar shock.
I was probably in the sa state.
Castel is a noble family from Bavaria.
And Oswald was also from Bavaria.
“Lucas!”
Ignoring soone calling my na, I moved towards the exit and picked up a scattered newspaper.
Bold black letters were printed in the middle of the Imperial Gazette.
[Seven Bavarian mages severely injured in the capital… Four of the victims are minors]
As I read, the number changed, now listing eight victims.
In the heart of the empire, Bavarian mages had been severely injured. Moreover, they were all from Bavaria.
I continued reading the article.
‘The perpetrator is unknown.’
According to the investigation bureau, none of the victims had any mory of the incident, and no witnesses could be found.
But… it’s obvious.
Bavarian mages were injured in the capital on the sa day?
‘…It’s a retaliation and a warning.’
It was clearly the work of Pleroma.
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