Chapter 69: Script (3)

Script (3)

It's Sunday noon. Behind the Endex old building, I'm tending to the garden by the lake. Climbing up the ladder I borrowed from old man Belthos, I snip away with the garden shears.

The view of the lake itself is beautiful, but the branches surrounding it have grown wildly, so I've been trimming them whenever I have time.

Thanks to this, I occasionally have visitors.

Deer, rabbits, even wild boars come to drink the lake water. I feel like a monster might show up next.

-Ding.

An artificial sound breaks the tranquility. I pull out my smartphone.

[Lunatic: Where are you?]

It's a message from Elise.

[Why]

[Lunatic: Did you write this?]

Is she talking about The Bard?

[Yes]

Suddenly, a call comes in. Ring-ring-ring-

"What is it?"

She's calling? Isn't this voice phishing?

I answer anyway.

"Hello."

—......

"What."

—......

"Is this voice phishing? Want to die?"

A small sigh comes from the other end.

—Voice phishing, you idiot... Did you really write this?

Her voice sounds like she hasn't slept at all.

"Yeah. I did. Why? Is there a problem?"

—Then I'll send you the address. Come here. It's a small theater.

"I'm busy. Can't you come here?"

There are still many branches to trim. They're much more valuable to me than Elise.

—There are 7 people here.

"......What, so many?"

I arrive at the small theater. As Elise said, people are already gathered. Four are seniors I've seen in Endex Latinel's liberal arts class, and the other two are college students.

"Friend. Is this really written by you?"

James, a familiar face, asks. If I were to describe him simply, he's a typical well-bred nobleman.

"I read it as soon as I got it today. It's really well written."

He seems genuine. His praise for a mere D- commoner like me is incredibly natural and smooth.

"Right. I didn't expect you to create The Bard like this. Are you really a high school student?"

Miller, a college student, asks. I've seen him on TV and screens before my regression. He becomes quite a famous actor in the future.

"Let's decide on the roles first."

Elise, who said this, looks at me. It seemed like she wanted me to decide.

"Wow~ I'm greedy. Is it because there are many roles that die early?"

Miller fiddles with the script and speaks. James also straightens his posture for no reason.

I point at Elise with my chin.

"The main character is, well, you."

No matter how rude, filled with narcissistic pride, and stubborn she is, it's hard to find visuals like Elise's.

Even now, her face could slap most celebrities, and as she grows, it will only become more refined.

"The next best actor should play Duke. "

As I mention Duke, Miller raises his hand.

"I'm going to debut in a musical next year. I'm also waiting for good results from drama and movie auditions. I'm currently active. I'm minoring in Latinel, and my grades are A+. I can communicate smoothly even with an ancient person, right?"

Others seemed to agree as well.

"Alright. Then, Miller will play Duke. I have a secret to tell Duke."

"Oh, really?"

Miller chuckled. Elise wore a disgruntled expression.

"......Shouldn't you tell me, the main character, too?"

"You'll have a more realistic reaction if you don't know."

"Do you think this is some kind of reality variety show?"

"If you immerse yourself in The Bard, you'll react appropriately. Don't you know method acting?"

"Method acting, sure."

I dismissed her lightly.

"Also, we'll be singing in Latinel."

Elise pouted her lips.

"Only The Bard and Duke."

The original is a musical, so it can't be helped. Musicals require an enormous amount of practice time, and it's hard even at a student level, so we decided to cut down the songs to just two.

"La Vercit, Cro Bricscal."

These are Latinel songs titled 'Lonely You' and 'Ruthless Sword' respectively.

La Vercit is a 2-minute original song to express The Bard's emotions, and Cro Bricscal is about 30 seconds of humming to emphasize Duke's mystery.

"James will play the young nobleman, Shasha will play the queen, and the king will be......"

That's how I assigned the seven roles.

"You're one person short."

Elise interjected. As she said, we were short of one role.

"Why don't you do it? The role dies early anyway."

Despite her face saying she wanted to kill me, I shook my head.

I didn't want to waste time practicing for the play, and there was someone else who fit the role better.

"How about Layla?"

"What? Are you trying to ruin the play?"

"No. From what I've seen, she seems like she'd die very realistically."

The first death, that of the role, is surprisingly crucial. It appears early in the play and dramatically shifts the atmosphere.

If she could scream like she did when she saw the phantom at the hotel, it would be perfect.

"......Well. Most people will think it's a light-hearted play. If the first death is intense, it will draw attention."

Elise spoke as if she had read my thoughts. I was slightly surprised.

"Have you read a lot?"

"......I haven't read that much. I just have an excellent sense."

She subtly avoided my gaze.

"I'll make the call first."

I picked up my smartphone. The members of the play, including Elise, nodded silently.

In the autonomous district 'Plate', the second most populous and largest area after the capital Edsilla, where various machines and ideas are constantly popping up, also known as the 'Trick-City', there is a villa owned by the Hilton family.

"You, you, you, you Shion!"

At the end of a cliff facing the sea, built so that no one knows it's owned by the Hiltons, on the 13th floor underground of the villa.

"How can you call me!"

Upon receiving Shion's call, Layla rolled around on the bed, shouting.

"I'm not talking to you! Anything! Not doing it! Not...... Huh?"

However, her expression changed completely as soon as she heard certain words. Her mouth watered.

"......Really?"

Layla's face melted.

"So that......"

She licked her lips, moving them around, and finally burst into a grin.

"I'll let you off just this once~"

Layla rolled around on the bed again. She rolled dozens of times, but she was still on the bed. It was that large of a bed.

"Ah~ Mo~ Since you're so sorry~"

Layla asked in a laughing voice.

"So~ what role is it?"

An answer came through the smartphone. Layla's expression hardened again instantly. Her mouth dried up.

Her eyes wide open, she sat up.

"......What?! I die in 5 minutes?!"

She yelled out loud.

5 minutes! Not 50 minutes, but 5 minutes! Does that even make sense?! What do you take me for?!

"I won't do it!!!"

She hung up the phone immediately.

"......"

However, she pondered for a moment.

The festival.

The last festival at Endex.

It's not so common to participate in the last festival as a senior.

Especially since this play will be held on Friday, the highest highlight time. The handsome, famous seniors from Endex, her alma mater, will also be attending.

"......Damn it."

Layla eventually called back. Fortunately, Shion picked up right away. That was a close call.

"Okay! Shion. I've thought about it? Let me live for 5 more minutes. Just fill up exactly 10 minutes and I'll do it."

Layla had a dream.

Whether on stage, in front of a camera, or anywhere else, to 'act'. To become someone else.

It's not just a simple romance.

Because such an experience itself can help not only her career path but also the purpose of her family.

No, it will definitely help.

"......Okay. It's not possible? Okay."

But it's not even 4 minutes. This Shion guy is too cold-hearted

Layla corrected him with a huff.

"Then just let me live for 3 more minutes."

This time, a slightly longer voice came back.

The play's running time is roughly 90 minutes, so 1 or 2 minutes is huge. The character who dies first is a very important role, and it would actually have a huge impact if she died properly early on.

"Hmm...... Hmm...... Really? A very important device for the dramatic turn of the play...... I don't know what you're talking about, but~ it's a very important role than it looks?"

She seemed to be convinced.

"......Okay. Then. Just one more minute. If you let me live for one more minute, I'll do it."

Layla negotiated one last time. Shion Ascal was silent for a moment, and Layla was tense.

After what felt like 10 minutes in 10 seconds.

"Alright, I'll give you 30 more seconds."

"Yesss!"

Layla clenched her fists.

"So that's 30 more seconds of life! Okay!"

She jumped up and down. Shion Ascal responded in a tone that suggested he had lost and hung up the phone.

"Phew~ I'm pretty good at negotiating, aren't I?"

Layla wiped the sweat from her forehead and stepped out of the bed. She looked around the vast 13th basement floor.

This place was a secret villa filled with all sorts of artifacts and state-of-the-art magic suits. It was the Hilton family's main house where Layla's 「Spectrum」 could be fully utilized, and the 'Cave' where her father's legacy was stored.

─Did it go well?

'Eri' asked. Layla turned to look at it. On the desk, in an acrylic fish tank, was a magic lump that resembled the sun.

"Yeah. I think I can do the play."

It was an artificial intelligence that Layla had created herself. It wasn't entirely her own work from start to finish, but rather a completion of her father's legacy?

Think of it as a very smart secretary.

─Congratulations.

"Thanks, Eri~"

Layla stretched her body.

"Do we have anything to do today?"

Her Spectrum was 「Avatar」.

When equipped with gear or suits, the power of her entire body, including magic, becomes tens of times stronger.

─There is a gunfight in the Bebeto region. It seems to be a power struggle between a bank robber and the police.

"Okay! I should go right away."

She reached out to the suit. The moment she did, the suit flew to her and clung to her body.

The base of the suit was made of Mana-no Infium Fabric.

It was a material that fused nano textiles and mana. At first glance, it was a tight-fitting suit that covered her from head to toe, but it was a mana composite material that was as solid as, if not more than, the armor of most knights, yet was highly elastic and flexible.

When the 「Avatar」 Spectrum is added to this, even a top-level Inspector would have a hard time dealing with her.

"Open the door!"

─Yes.

The ceiling of the 13th basement floor opened. She hit the ground in her suit.

Kwaaaa───!

With a single leap, she soared into the sky in an instant.

Like a bullet shot from a cliff, she rushed to the coordinates of the shooting area that Eri had relayed.