Published at 18th of October 2020 07:36:37 PM
Chapter 104
Chapter 104
【”Now, is there any warrior here who compares with Raquel? If you can beat him, you’ll receive one gold coin!”】
【”I don’t need the gold coin but can I give it a try?”】
【”Oho, we have a brave man in our audience I see! Come on stage and—…”】
Before he could finish what he had to say, the man found himself unable to breath .
He had noticed that Kurats was even more muscular than Raquel .
【”How about I show you a trick before that?”】
With a cheerful smile, Kurats picked up the pierced armor .
【”Alright, look carefully . No device, no trickery of any sort . ”】
As he said so, Kurats took out a cloak to hide the armor from the audience’s sight .
【”As you can plainly see, this is a completely normal cloak . But when I hang it in front of an armor, something curious happens!”】
Bong, clink, chak!
There were very suspicious sounds, but that was just a forgettable detail .
However, what was worth noticing was that, unlike the spectators, Raquel and the man presenting the street show both instantly turned pale .
【”―― That big armor is gone!”】
【”Oooooooooh!”】
It was clear that there was nowhere to hide the armor seeing at it was merely placed on a normal table .
Since Kurats hadn’t used an incantation, no one could claim that he had made it vanish using magic .
Under the spectators’ cheers, Kurats satisfiedly waved his hand .
―― Bam!
At that moment, the table that the armor had been placed upon broke right in half without any warning .
At the same time, a small ball the size of a pea fell down and dug into the ground under . Marika did not fail to notice that .
She figured Kurats had used his extraordinary strength to compress the armor into a small pea .
He hadn’t lied when saying there were no devices or trickeries involved .
【”Alright, let’s do to strength contest now, shall we?”】
【”Absolutely not!”】
Needless to say that the two men categorically refused the contest they had offered earlier, shaking their heads with all their strength .
The theatre that was set as the day’s destination was the real deal . A large semi-circle to seat the audience around a central stage . Kurats was the one who had worked on most of the massive stone structure .
The theatre was a very popular form of entertainment, but it was somewhat due to Marika’s own personal feelings that its construction had ended up being given a high priority .
【”Hou, I wonder if Stephan-place is going to come to Bashtar?”】
The childish sparkle in Marika’s eyes laid bare her excitement about the subject .
Stephen-place was one of the ten best theatre troupes of Jormungand, and they did shows all over the place around the capital .
Save for the troupes that had their own theatres, there were only one or two traveling troupes that could compete with them .
Their actors were beautiful men and women, and Marika was secretly a big fan to the point of buying their goodies .
Many of their plays were targeted at women and centered around tragedy and strongly followed the aestheticism approach .
【”When we went to see them with Marika, she cried so much～”】
【”W-well excuse me for being very sensitive, unlike you, Clodette!”】
【”She says… after treating people super insensitively… . ”】
It was nice seeing the two beauties messing with each other .
Marika, the intellectual beauty, and Clodette, the young-looking airhead .
Today in particular, Clodette had pulled her usual light-pink twin tails into a braid in the back, making her seem even younger than usual .
Because of this, although they did not look alike, the sight of the two girls quarreling without holding back made them seem like two close sisters .
On top of that, they were both beauties far beyond average, leading the group to gather many looks of envy and jealousy from the surroundings .
Had there not been an imposing giant in front of them, the city’s ladies’ men would probably have swarmed them in an instant .
【”As long as you can both enjoy the play, it’s all good, wouldn’t you say?”】
Kurats kindly patted both of their heads, while feeling a sense of superiority from being together with two flowers .
【”R-right!”】
【”Yessss～I look forward to it～”】
The title of the play was『Promise of the moonlight』; it was a run-of-the-mill love-story .
The story started with a girl helping a man who injured himself from a fall .
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While caring for the man, who had amnesia, seeds of love sprouted between them .
However, after their sweet romance went on for a short while, the man recovered his memory . He was actually the prince of an enemy country .
The man’s heart wavered .
Was he meant to remain with the girl and betray his people, or take his sword again for his homeland?
The girl wavered as well . She did not know whether to reveal the man’s true identity to her country or keep it hidden .
Her brother had been killed in action during the war against the man’s country .
After going through deep anguish, the couple ended up deciding not to betray each other and parted .
They swore an oath on the goddess of the moon to meet again when peace would return .
And return it did, a few years later . The war between the two countries was over .
After dealing with the aftermath of the war, the man went to visit the land he and the girl had agreed to meet upon .
There, he met the girl . She had grown to become even more beautiful than before .
However, she was there to share a sad truth with him .
Because she had become so beautiful, the men around had refused to let her be, and a marriage proposal had been imposed on her .
Realizing that she could not clear the obstacles on her way, the girl had thrown herself into a lake, under the moonlit night .
But for one day, the day of their oath, she got to reunite with him through the power of the moon goddess .
――Please wait!
The prince asked the moon goddess .
――Even if I’m no longer here, my country will prosper . I will discard this life of mine, but please, please take me to the same world as her .
And so, in exchange for the prince’s life, the moon goddess fulfilled his wish .
The two souls ascended to the harmonious moon world, ready to make up for all the days they had spent apart .
【”Uuuh～～ It’s happy but… It’s happy but…”】
Like Clodette had said, it seemed Marika was weak to tearjerkers .
Her tears were coming down like waterfalls, soaking the handkerchief she was wiping her runny nose with .
【”The moon goddess reunited them in the right, right? It’s a happy end, that’s great!”】
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【”But, but, but, they both died… If only they could have met when they were alive… Uuuuuh!”】
Clodette was less fixated on the deaths of the two protagonists .
It was fun to see that the normally businesslike Marika and the softhearted Clodette would switch places when it came to theatre .
Kratz picked up Marika’s wet handkerchief and switched it with his own .
【”I see you’re very sensitive, Marika . ”】
【”Uuuh- S, s, sorry lord Kurats, I don’t know why I can’t stop…”】
【”That’s because Marika is so kind that she can’t help herself from thinking of all sorts of things, she’s always been this way . . ”】
Clodette smiled lovingly and tenderly wiped Marika’s eyes, like she was trying to soothe a younger sister .
It was heartwarming to see the short and baby-faced Clodette look after Marika, who many people saw as being dignified and more mature than her age .
Kurats realized that Clodette’s observation was on point .
Marika, logical as she was, was likely not just thinking about the prince and the girl, but also about the world and the families they had left behind .
Perhaps that was the difference between the pragmatic Marika and the more sensible Clodette .
The spectator seats were arranged in a semi-circle, with some seats around the middle placed higher than the others .
Those were the VIP seats which had top quality cushions . They were made for the wealthy .
Because Marika did not want to stand out too much, the trio was sitting at the front row of the regular seats .
Meanwhile, on the VIP seats, there was one man who looked down towards where Kurats and the others were sitting, and raised his voice in surprise .
【”―― Clodette?! You’re Clodette, right?!”】
The man who ran down the VIP stairs in a hurry was wearing well-tailored, merchant-style clothes, and looked to be in the middle of his twenties .
He seemed to be close to Clodette’s age .
Despite her looks, Clodette was actually past her twenties .
【”An acquiantance?”】
【”Hmm～ let me see～”】
While Clodette tilted her head, searching through her memories, Kurats held her to protect her from the man who rushed forward like he was about to push her down .
【”I didn’t think we’d meet in a place like this! What happened to your tax collector job?”】
【”Ah, right! You’re Marlow . ”】
Clodette slammed her hand on her other palm as memories of her school days snapped back in her mind .
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【”It’s been a while . You… haven’t changed at all . ”】
Clodette looked as if she was under an eternal youth spell . Perhaps she would still keep her youthful traits when she would be past her thirties .
Marlow felt a sense of wonder and admiration seeing her beauty that was no different from his memories .
(It’s really Clodette! Haaah!)
Apparently, Clodette’s youthful appearance was right in his strike zone .
【”…You look old, Marlow . “】
【”Can’t you phrase it better? At least say you’ve grown up or you’ve become an adult or something . ”】
Marlow smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders from Clodette’s point-blank honesty .
It seemed her airheaded personality hadn’t changed either .
【”So, did you quit your job as a tax collector?”】
【”Yes, I’m working for the respectable lord of Bashtar know . ”】
【”Really?!”】
Marlow showed a big smile and nodded to himself in satisfication .
【”If you’re no longer a tax collector, then there are no longer any obstacles between us . I’d like to welcome you to the Weichs company, as my wife . Not just me, but my father himself really values your talent, you know?”】
Marlow tried to clasp Clodette’s hands as he said so, but Clodette rejected him by hiding herself behind Kurats’ giant body .
【”I hate your father!”】
【My father is old-fashioned, he doesn’t like tax collectors… But now that you’ve quit that job, there is no problem anymore!”】
【”Long story short, a foolish failure of a son who can’t oppose his father?”】
Kurats asked Clodette with a condemning tone .
【”To be blunt, yes, that’s the gist of it . ”】
【”Who are you? You’re bothering me and Clodette!”】
【”Never heard of you . ”】
【”Watch your manners, I am the heir of the Weichs company!”】
Marlow’s chest puffed up with pride, like he was implying that commoners would not even begin to compare to him .
The Weichs company was a large seller that was renowned in Jormungand .
It had a lot of influence on the national distribution channels . Right now, Marlow was apparently visiting Bashtar in regards to the transportation of the Mythril from the Bolivia mines .
Had Kurats been a commoner, Marlow would likely have been above the clouds by the end of this exchange .