「Ladies and Gentlemen. I bid you welcome!」
Count Weissmall stood on the stage and bowed deeply to the audience. It was a speech before the raising of the curtain. All eyes from the near-full capacity of the Theatre were focused on him at once.
Inglis and the others were watching it unfold from the gap of the curtains in the wing of the stage.
「U-, uwaah……so many people! It’s really unnerving, isn’t it……」
Pullum swallowed her saliva. She was dressed in the same dancer’s outfit as Rafinha, Leone, and Liselotte. In the end, it was decided that Pullum would also take part in the dancing behind Inglis. Ian suggested it, saying that it would surely make Lahti happy.
Lahti opposed the idea, but Count Weissmall readily agreed to it. Thus, even though he was complaining all the while, Lahti memorized the whole choreography and patiently went along with Pullum’s practices, who herself was just a little bit of a klutz and having a hard time remembering the choreography. While indeed he couldn’t be true with himself, he seemed to fully support Pullum to get her on stage.
「You idiot, I’m the one getting nervous here! I can’t help but worry that you’ll just trip Inglis and the others……」
「I-, I’ll do my best!」
「It’s alright! It’s not as unnerving as stopping a falling airship or having to fight a Magic Stone Beast, right?」
Rafinha patted Pullum’s back to kindle her courage.
「Y-, yes. But, my heart keeps thumping!」
「Then just think of it this way. Everyone’s gonna look at Glis anyway, nobody is going to look at us!」
「…That may be true. Inglis really is pretty.」
Inglis’ costume for the play was even more ornate and glittering than the one she wore in rehearsals. Inglis had to admit she was an impressive sight to behold, after getting a good look at herself in front of the mirror.
「On that front, I must agree.」
「I am sure the audience will be positively delighted.」
Both Leone and Liselotte gave their approval.
「…But man, Pullum’s the cutest for me.」
Inglis put herself behind Lahti and spoke while imitating his voice. There was a limit to how much she could imitate his tone, but her manner of speech should be very similar. She was good at speaking with a male tone. It was only natural since she lived the life of a man in her whole previous life.
「Eeh?! Really, Lahti?!」
「As if! The hell are you doing, Inglis?! Drop it!」
「Well, I think it will unwind Pullum, you see…」
Perhaps it was due to her nervousness, but Pullum completely fell for it.
「Hahaha, you sure are composed, Miss Inglis. Even though you are the star of the play. How admirable.」
Ian who watched it unfold gave a bitter laugh. Chapters first released on NoveI★Fire.net
「Well, I am nothing compared to Senior Yua…」
Inglis turned her face to Yua, who was leaning against a nearby chest.
「Hold on?! Yua, this is beyond bad! Wake up! The curtains gonna be up anytime now!」
Maurice, the leader of the second-year students and the one who was always taking care of Yua, was in a panic trying to wake Yua up. He himself was only here as a pilot of a Flygear for the scene where many Flygears would be used for an aerial battle scene, but he still supervised Yua thoroughly.
In the meantime, Count Weissmall who was on the stage once again bowed towards the audience seat, more reverently this time.
「And today, we have a wonderful guest with us! His Majesty the King, please bestow us your words.」
Once King Charleas stood up, a round of applause was heard from throughout the theatre.
「Various incidents have arisen in our Capital, causing hardship to everyone. This is all due to my incompetence as the man in charge of our Kingdom, and I would wish to apologize to everyone for it.」
Saying so, King Charleas bowed his head once.
「The performance by the Weissmall Troupe will be a wonderful relief for your downturns. Students of the Knight Academy, the future of our country, are also cooperating with them. Let us all enjoy this moment together.」
When he said so, the applause rang out even harder this time.
「Ah, Father, Mother, and Aunt are all here!」
Meanwhile, Rafinha seemed to be more concerned about the audience.
「Alina is here too! Okay, that means I need to do my best to entertain them!」
She clenched her fist and made a gusto pose.
「You’re right. Mother has come all the way to watch…… I must do my best too and have so much fun and fight Senior Yua with my all!」
This was the day Inglis had been waiting for, the day she could fight Yua when she was serious. There were a lot of things that she needed to do too, but she just couldn’t contain her excitement.
「No, it’ll be like the usual if you’re just going to have fun and fight with your all! You should be more feminine and show them your cute side. I’m sure both Aunt and Alina will be really happy if you do, you know?」
「I will just say this as a warning, but don’t get too engrossed in your fight and get the audience involved, okay?」
「It’s all right. The Principal has put up her barrier, after all.」
Principal Miliera was already seated in the gallery. Supposedly, she was there to put a barrier all around the audience seat to prevent accidents during the scenes where Inglis and Yua would be fighting midair with Flygears.
At first, this was supposed to be done by Knight Academy students, but for various reasons, they decided to ask Principal Miliera to do it.
「Uuuh……Aah! It’s going to start soon, isn’t it! I- I need some more time!」
Pullum’s tension seemed to elevate as time went by.
「Now that it has come to this, you just need to do it! Just stay calm and do what you can!」
「Y-, yes! Then please hold my hand so I’ll get calm!」
「Haah?! Why’d it come to that?!」
「Hurry up! Do you want me to mess up?!」
「What kind of threat is that?! Damn it, you’re hopeless!」
「Oh? I’m jealous of how close you two are~」
Said Rafinha, grinning at them.
Leone nodded her head.
「Sh-, shut up, she’s the one who’s just too helpless!」
「Phew… Okay! I’ve calmed down a little!」
「Ah, can you also pilot the Flygear in the scene in the second half where Glis and Senior Yua fight midair? I’m sorry I asked you so suddenly!」
Originally, it was supposed to be Rafinha and Lahti who would pilot Inglis and Yua’s Flygears respectively in the mentioned scene, but… Due to various circumstances, Rafinha had to switch with Pullum.
「Th-, that’s right, there’s that too! I- I’ll be alright!」
「You sure? I’m worried……」
「Then, why don’t you calm me down again before that scene starts?」
「Hah? I don’t wanna, you’re the one who——」
「……Hold on, the curtain is about to be lifted!」
Leone called out to the group. True enough, Count Weissmall was about to conclude his speech.
「Well then, please enjoy the show! Let the curtain rise!」
With that, the curtains of the stage slowly opened. Meanwhile…
Yua was still fast asleep.
「DAAaarrghh! Sorry, but help me out here!」
「Sh-, she’s still sleeping?!」
「We need to carry her away first!」
「Hurry up or the audience will see it!」
They helped Maurice, who began to whine and carried Yua away deeper into the side of the stage.