Chapter 253: Sudden Proposal [1]

253 Sudden Proposal [1]

As if the very air had been sucked from the air around me, I found myself unable to breathe as I stared at the thin thread that hung over the gigantic hand in the sky.

It loomed over the dark sky, spreading its threads all over the entire city of Bremmer.

The magnitude of the hand was hard to describe, and seeing the countless strings that were connected to it made me lose all sense of focus.

It made me feel insignificant.

It felt as if my every movement, along with those of every citizen in the city, was being manipulated by the colossal hand looming in the sky.

Like the marionettes in the wooden stalls by the streets.

"....."

My eyes started to sting as I suddenly forgot to blink.

I just stared at the gigantic hand without saying a single word.

<nulli>'Where is everybody? Why is no one noticing the massive hand?'

A magnitude of questions flooded my mind as I found myself unable to detach my gaze from the massive hand that loomed over the sky.

It felt oppressive, and despite my best attempts, I was still being affected by it.

The back of my shirt kept getting pulled, and for a moment, I almost felt myself moving in a way I didn't intend.

But it was just a feeling...

Blink.

By the time I blinked, everything was gone.

As if nothing had ever been present, moonlight cast a dim glow over the streets beneath.

"..."

In the silence that took over the space, my breath evened out and the hair at the back of my arm settled.

I didn't notice any notification pop up in front of me, but that was understandable. I had undergone far worse in the past.

....But just because I had experienced worse, it didn't mean that was completely immune to the emotion.

<nulli>'Given that I didn't see anything pop up, reaching the next level will be very difficult.'

I didn't think the first leaf would help me in this regard either.

From the moment I reached level three for Fear, it became incredibly hard to level it up.

Regarding Sandness... I was no longer capable of gaining anything from there.

It became obvious to me that I could no longer rely on the leaves past level 4.

....To reach level five, I needed something more.

But what exactly?

"....."

I lowered my head to stare at the child beneath me.

Bending over I checked for his pulse.

"He's still alive."

My gaze then fell on his blood-stained hands. I wasn't sure where they came from, but when I looked towards the distance, I could more or less tell I would be able to find them if I looked.

"....I wonder if there's any saving for him."

I pressed my hand against the child's forehead and prepared to check if he had been affected by some sort of Emotive Magic, but stopped just when I was about to.

<nulli>'It's risky.'

For now, I still didn't know if the one responsible for this was aware of who I was.

Was the person I had seen back in the theater the faceless man, or someone else? I thought long and hard about this question, but I still wasn't sure.

But if there was one thing that I was sure about, it was that I was being tracked through my scent.

Otherwise, something would've already happened by now.

Especially since I 'belong' to the organization that he has created.

Or was there a reason why they still didn't directly do something to me? Some sort of thing that was preventing them from doing so?

I wasn't sure.

But these were only hypotheses.

...I was still unsure of this fact.

But it wasn't as though I couldn't confirm this hypothesis.

"Hoo."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up while staring at the child in front of me.

After a while, I bent over once again and placed my hand over their head.

A faint glow manifested over the ring on my finger. The mana in my body drained for a brief moment before eventually settling down.

"It shouldn't leave a trace."

Massaging my face, I turned around and headed back.

Whatever was going to happen to the child, it was no longer my problem.

At least for now, he wouldn't remember a thing of what happened.

***

The next day.

There were several things that I needed to take care of in the following week—Visit the theater for the play I was supposed to do, attend the academy's small gathering regarding the four Empire summit, and lastly visit Kaelion.

But before that;

"Is it possible for it to be sent over? Yes. It would be best if it's not opened. Thank you."

Talking to the clerk at the post office, I paid a small and handed a few slips to them.

"Make sure to treat the package with care. There's a lot of important things inside."

"Understood, thank you for your service."

It was only then that I finally left the shop.

"Hoo."

Taking in the fresh air, I looked around me and decided to head for the theater.

<nulli>'Because of the incident, I'm quite late for the preparation, but it shouldn't be a problem since I have the script memorized in my head.'

So long as that was okay, I didn't see a problem with coming a bit late.

....And it wasn't as though my tardiness was within my control anyway. If she contacted the Academy with regards to why I was late, then I was sure she received some sort of believable excuse.

"It should be this building."

I stopped in front of a tall building with large pillars flanking its entrance. It loomed over me, casting an imposing shadow that added to its overwhelming presence.

<nulli>'It doesn't look bad.'

Admiring the building for a few seconds, I headed for the entrance where I was stopped by a couple of guards.

"Who are you...?"

"Ah, my name is Julien. I had an appointment with scriptwriter Olga a couple of days ago. Because of some circumstances, I wasn't able to attend."

"Scriptwriter Olga?"

The two guards stared at each other briefly before one of the guards headed in for the building.

Their reactions seemed a bit weird, but I didn't think much of it.

That was until the guard who left came back and shook their head with a serious expression.

"We apologize, but currently script writer Olga is busy. You can come back and visit another time."

"Busy..."

I thought for a moment before nodding my head. Indeed, she was probably extremely busy arranging the play.

The Four Empire Summit was a big event after all.

"When can I come visit again?"

The two guards once again looked at each other.

"You can try again tomorrow, but we can't guarantee anything."

"Can't I make an appointment? As far as I know, im supposed to participate in one of the plays that will be played this week. I don't see how this would benefit either party."

The play was supposed to happen this Thursday, and today was Monday.I didn't need any practice, but I did need to get used to the positioning.

Furthermore, I didn't know who the other actors were.

Were they going to be the same or different people? If so, wouldn't it be more appropriate if I met them first to get used to their style?

All in all, despite how busy Olga was, the situation wasn't supposed to be like this.

Something wasn't adding up.

"....Sorry, but this was what we were instructed to relay to you."

"Hmm, I see."

Seeing how adamant the guards were about not letting me in, I could only give up and turn away.

It was either something internal or something else.

But it was clear that I was currently not welcome.

"It can't be that she's holding a grudge against me for being late?"

It was possible, but at the same time, I didn't want to believe this. She was the one who requested me after all.

....And I did tell her that I was going to be a little bit busy so she should be understanding.

"Hmm, I guess I'll check it out tomorrow."

I ruffled my hair and prepared to leave when I suddenly overheard a few voices from a group of actors who were making their way into the building.

"Did you hear? Apparently, they finally found the actor for the play that's going to be played in the summit."

"Oh? I actually did see him. He was so handsome."

"Yes, right? The moment I looked at his face, I almost lost my breath. I can't believe someone like that actually exists. And his acting... wow, it was insane. I would even say even better than its predecessors."

"I can't believe I've never heard of someone like him before. I would've been their number one fan."

"Eh...?"

The discussion took me aback as my steps came to a sudden halt.

<nulli>'Someone is playing in the play? ...and their acting is better than the predecessor?'

All of a sudden a lot of things started to make sense, and I found myself bitterly smiling at the reality.

<nulli>'No wonder she didn't want to meet me.'

It wasn't because she was busy, but because she found someone else to play the role.

Someone who was apparently better than me at acting.

It was a little odd that things turned out this way and I was a little bummed out, but what else could I do about it?

In the end, I decided to leave and focus on other things.

Or at least, that was what I Initially planned on doing.

"What are you doing here?"

Turning my head, a familiar lock of red hair appeared. Wearing a straw hat, and light clothes, Aoife appeared not far from where I was.

I was a little surprised by her appearance.

"That's what I'd like to ask."

"Um, ehm..."

Aoife fiddled with her hat before taking it off.

"....I heard they were going to do a tryout of the play and I wanted to watch it. I never really got to see the play in person since I was acting, but why are you here? Shouldn't you be doing the play?"

"About that..."

I scratched the side of my face before telling her what happened.

Aoife's widened the moment I told her what happened.

"Are you serious?"

She didn't seem to believe my words, but when I insisted, she had no choice but to believe me.

"That's..."

Her expression betrayed her shock. In the end, alternating her gaze between me and the guards, she beckoned with her hand.

"Follow me. I can get you in."

"No, it's fine. Since they chose someone else, we can—"

"Aren't you just a little bit curious?"

"About?"

"The actor that replaced you?"

"....."

I wasn't going to lie, but I was indeed a little curious.

And as if Aoife could read my thoughts, she beckoned once more with her hand.

"Since you're curious, you can follow me. I too am curious about this. Something just doesn't add up."

***

More soon.