Chapter 265: Soft Power (2)

The highlight of the exhibition, the performance, will start precisely at 8 p.m. The previous exhibition only had a makeshift stage and was held outdoors, but now proper buildings were neatly erected.

Thanks to the extensive support from the Minerva Empire the scale was quite large. According to what I heard from my father, it can accommodate up to about ten thousand people.

I wondered if I would be able to properly see the performance, but considering some of the performances I've seen in my past life, it's not entirely impossible. I even heard that they provide binoculars for those with poor eyesight or for those seated in the back rows if they want them.

Even in my past life, binoculars were quite expensive, so how were they here where scientific technology is less developed? Fortunately, lenses, including glasses, have been developed and can exist, but if not, it would have been a headache.

But there's no avoiding the fact that they are terribly expensive. Even with lenses, they have to be made by hand without the help of machines, so the price of portable binoculars is so high that it makes you tremble.

The Minerva Empire is giving away those binoculars for free. It's typical of a country overflowing with money, or rather, one that compensates for everything with money.

Of course, since they're expensive, they've placed one at each seat and secured them with magic to prevent casual theft. By the way, they received assistance from demons for the magic.

They said if anyone tries to extract or take away the binoculars secretly, an alarm will sound, so there's no need to worry about theft.

All that's left is for many people to watch the performances prepared. They explained that commoners can watch the performance on the first floor, while nobles can enjoy it from the second floor.

My family, friends, and I will be seated in the front row of the suitable second floor. The rest of the VIPs will find their own seats.

'How impressive will it be?'

Cecily was so confident, I wonder just how amazing the performance will be. Since it's a collaboration between the Matrics Troupe and the Rirus Orchestra, as with the previous exhibition, expectations were high.

Moreover, the more I listen to her explanations, the more memories from my past life surfaced. It was one of humanity's most popular cultures across the world.

If special effects including explosions are handled by magic, and even recording is replaced by magic, then nothing seems impossible to produce. Especially considering there are numerous instances where performances rival movies, even within the confined environment of a stage, like with the Matrics Troupe.

However, it should never be compared to my previous life. In my past life, decades of accumulated expertise enabled the creation of various masterpieces and this was their first attempt with Helium's comprehensive support.

Comparing the cultural zenith of Earth to the culture of this world, which has only just begun to bloom, would be truly a cruel act.

So let's watch the performance with an appreciative mindset. Guiding Cecily and Arwen was the priority for now.

"Well, I'll look forward to the performance tonight."

"It will probably be a performance you won't forget for a lifetime."

It was 6 p.m., and the sun was gradually disappearing beyond the horizon. Arwen left to handle dinner arrangements.

I suggested having dinner together at the mansion, but she politely declined, shaking her head. She insisted that if she went, it would definitely create an awkward situation.

I wanted to ask if there would be any awkwardness since we were already acquainted and even banished the Elders, but Arwen's attitude was so stubborn that I had no choice but to withdraw.

As I made my way to the mansion to arrange dinner, I unexpectedly encountered familiar faces.

"Isaac!"

"Huh?"

My siblings, Dave and Nicole, dressed neatly in Navy Knight uniforms, had arrived. It seemed like they were on vacation.

As soon as I saw them, I approached with a bright smile. Both of them not only had good looks but also had well-built bodies, clearly benefiting from their military training.

"When did you arrive?"

"We got here about 2 hours ago. Have you been well? Our youngest has grown so much since I last saw you."

Dave ruffled my hair with a cool smile, as if impressed, as he often did. The last time I met him was at the previous exhibition.

Considering how much I've grown in the past year, it must have been quite a surprise for Dave. I smiled brightly, basking in the affectionate touch of my older brother.

Although Lily is in the picture now, I've always received unconditional love from my older siblings.

Dave, having often treated me like a kid just like Nicole, has fostered a strong bond between us as siblings.

Let's skip over the dynamics between Dave and Nicole. They're just typical siblings.

"I've been good, thanks. And it's Lily who's the youngest, not me."

"Oh, right. My mistake."

"Both of you came?"

"Yeah. It's only been a year, but so much has changed. I momentarily questioned if this was our territory."

I shared the stories between siblings that we missed out on. Nicole looked healthy, her once injured arm now fully healed.

Especially as Nicole and I conversed, she kept glancing behind intermittently. It seemed she was locking eyes with Adelia.

Following her gaze, I noticed Adelia brightly smiling back, clearly expressing her joy at reuniting with her close friend.

When it comes down to it, Nicole must be a precious treasure to Adelia. She brought light into her lonely life and even led her to a loving partner.

"However, Isaac. What kind of gift did you receive from the demons... Ugh!!"

Dave almost blurted out something strange in the middle, but Nicole stopped him just in time. Pretending it was an accident, she forcefully stomped on Dave's foot.

Naturally, Dave glared at Nicole with a look that said, "What the heck are you doing?" From his clueless perspective, he must have been infuriated and baffled.

Without saying a word, Nicole cleared her throat and glanced at me, subtly initiating conversation.

"Let's leave the retaliation for later. Dinner preparation has just finished."

"Fine, I got it."

"Hey, could you tell me why you stepped on my foot earlier?"

"Don't act clueless. When will you ever learn to pick up on cues?"

"You're dodging the question again. You brute. Orc."

"Wanna fight?"

Hmm. As always, they seem like a harmonious pair of siblings. I put their argument aside and headed towards where dinner was being served with the group.

While Marie and Cecily could sit at the table for dinner, Adelia, being the personal maid, had to take care of her duties separately.

Since it was a matter I couldn't handle due to job constraints, I had no choice but to let her go. Adelia left without any particular complaints, temporarily leaving her place to attend to dinner preparations.

Normally, she should be standing behind me even during dinner, but whether it was my father's directive or not, only our family members were dining together, including Marie and Cecily.

"So, any issues in the border zone lately?"

"There haven't been any major issues. Elf scouts have been less active recently, and although there have been some sightings of barbarians, it's not anything significant."

"Even if the elf scouts have been more engaged with Alvenheim recently, it's still wise to be cautious about the barbarians. Anything else?"

"Nothing else to report, really."

The recent lives of Dave and Nicole have been quite peaceful with nothing particularly special happening. Despite the typical grumbling of a soldier, these are things that a father can easily overlook.

However, from the perspective of parents, there are a few concerns. Among them, one prominent issue was their romantic relationships. Parents always wish for their children to find a partner, regardless of their occupation.

Although Dave and Nicole followed our father's footsteps into the military, marriage can be seen as essentially compulsory. This is simply the nature of the times, unavoidable as it may be.

Moreover, there's no need to worry about career interruptions, especially for women. In units like the Navy Knights where each individual's contribution is vital, support is provided to facilitate their swift return.

The feasibility of this system is largely due to the formidable economic power of the Minerva Empire.

"It's good to work hard, but finding a partner is also important. Have you perhaps found someone you like?"

"Uh..."

"Um..."

In response to their mother's gentle inquiry, Dave and Nicole both rolled their eyes in unison, without either of them willing to speak first.

The sight of golden eyes, so much like our father's, rolling round and round, was striking. It seems neither of them have any interest at all.

Finally, the siblings glanced at their mother and replied simultaneously.

""None.""

"··· ···"

Then followed a long and tedious sermon. No matter how uninterested they might be, they should produce offspring for the future, shouldn't they? At our age, we should be seeing grandchildren and so on.

"Look at Isaac. He's already married to two women, yet you all have none. Your mother is truly worried."

"Maybe our youngest is just strange? How could we ever outdo Xenon in the first place?"

"Mom, Isaac is just a womanizer, that's all. If he can't charm a woman with that face, that would be even weirder."

"··· ···"

I knew my turn would come, but I didn't expect it to be like this. I listened with one ear and let it all slip away, focusing silently on my meal.

'I hope the performance starts soon.'

Even amidst such thoughts, the conversation didn't cease. In fact, even Marie and Cecily, who were sitting beside me, joined in.

"Well, Isaac is a special case. But you know what's interesting? Both I and Adelia fell for him before knowing he was Xenon. Adelia still doesn't know, even now."

"And Leona said she's attracted to him because of the beastmen culture, right?"

"Wow... our youngest, or should I say our third, has some skills. Can you tell your older brother how you managed that?"

"What skills? He's just a womanizer. Is there any woman he can't charm with that face?"

"··· ···"

Save me.

*****

After the peaceful and harmonious dinner ended, we headed straight to the theater where a magnificent stage awaited us.

Originally, the plan was for the whole family to go together, but my father had to stay behind due to remaining paperwork, and my mother insisted on staying to watch over Lily.

Although I was disappointed that we couldn't all go together to the performance, which only happens once a year, Cecily's words helped me to feel relieved for a moment.

"Don't worry. The performance isn't just for today; it's scheduled to run for several days."

"Several days?"

"Yeah. The motto of the Xenon Exhibition is a culture that everyone can enjoy. But it wouldn't be right if some people couldn't enjoy it."

It seemed like it was recorded on video, so they could show it anytime. I thanked her and headed to the theater with a much lighter heart.

Unlike the hastily constructed outdoor setup from a year ago, the theater was now a meticulously built structure, reflecting the Minerva Empire's determination not to be outdone by the Ters Kingdom.

How many craftsmen poured their sweat into building this structure? It's hard to even imagine, just seeing its majestic and unmatched appearance.

It definitely feels like the Minerva Empire spared no expense on this. One can't help but wonder how advanced their culture must be to erect such a building.

Chatter...chatter...

As I stepped inside the building, the buzz of people was already audible. Though there were separate paths for nobles, the sheer number of people made the noise audible even here.

The auditorium can accommodate around ten thousand people. However, it's known that the number of attendees at the exhibition far exceeded that.

Even the inns built for this occasion were reportedly overflowing, causing headaches. It's inevitable since there are overwhelmingly more commoners reading Xenon's Biography than nobles.

Still, if Cecily's word holds, there shouldn't be any problem in hosting performances for multiple days. The performances are indeed the highlight and the alpha and omega of the Xenon exhibition.

In essence, the exhibition lasts for several days. Condensing it into a single day would be quite tight on time.

In a world where teleportation isn't utilized, it could take days or even over a month to travel across countries.

In that sense, extending the exhibition for several days means providing opportunities to many people, which might not be a bad thing.

'Father must have worked hard.'

Thinking about the expanding scale of the exhibition, I searched for a seat. The enclosed building was brightly lit, probably by magic.

Thanks to that, it wasn't difficult to find a seat, and as soon as I arrived, I could see familiar faces.

'They've arrived early.'

The nobles of the Minerva Empire and the royal family of the Ters Kingdom. Like me, they were seated in the front row of the second floor, chatting amongst themselves.

Among them, I locked eyes with Leort, exchanging a brief nod before he returned to their own conversations.

"Are those binoculars?"

"Yeah. Give them a try."

While we were playing with the binoculars arranged at each seat, time passed quickly.

The performance seemed about to begin, as the light illuminating the interior of the building gradually dimmed, enveloping us in darkness.

As the darkness settled, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder.

'Come to think of it, they didn't light any candles, how are they illuminating the building?'

Could this too be magic? I couldn't fathom how much budget had been allocated for just one building.

Eventually, the audience, sensing the beginning of the performance, began to quiet down little by little until complete silence fell.

[Just once...]

Suddenly, the voice of a dignified middle-aged man filled the building.

[If only I could see her smile just once...]

Boom!

An image filled the front view, no, it wasn't just an image.

[Elisha...]

The "movie" began to play.