Chapter 76

I've translated the text as requested:

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We made it to the final selection of the Net Novel Award!

Publication by Bungeshunju has been decided!

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"Hey, we're down here now."

I call out to Eric, who is pale and has his eyes shut tight.

"Really? It feels like it was quicker than I thought, but really?"

"...Really."

We are currently on the rooftop of a building near the theater in the northwest.

To explain how we got down, we didn't use the shield to climb down; we teleported.

We were trying to climb down the shield, but Eric suddenly got scared.

When we were running from the necromancers, we were too desperate to notice the height, but now that we're aware, it's much scarier to go down than up.

Elinora was fine going up, but as soon as she focused on going down, she couldn't handle it.

So, I had Eric close his eyes and distracted him, teleporting when the girl who was watching from the castle looked away.

"Ground! Or rather, the roof of a building."

Eric stomps his feet on the ground a few times and lets out a sigh of relief.

"Pathetic."

"Shut up! We didn't need to climb up to such a high place in the first place!"

"Well, we didn't want to be seen by the people below, and the view is better from a higher spot, right?"

"...I was on edge the whole time. By the way, are we in the northwest?"

Eric looks around, perhaps remembering his anxious state in the air, and changes the subject.

"We're closer to the theater in the northwest."

From the air, we spotted the rooftop of a building in the northwest and teleported here.

We could have teleported to a narrow alley near the main street, but for safety, we chose a large building's rooftop.

This time, since I was teleporting with Eric, I didn't push it. I didn't have the confidence to teleport both of us safely in a narrow space.

I didn't want us to get tangled up and hurt, so teleporting to a spacious rooftop was better.

It seems that with contact, multiple people can be teleported, and the magic consumption increases proportionally to the number of people.

So, if Eric were an adult, the magic consumption would be even higher, following the same rule.

It was a valuable experience since I rarely have the opportunity to teleport others.

"Shall we go down?"

"Are you okay? If you're scared, I can hold your hand and go down with you."

"I'm fine! I can go down by myself!"

When I offered to hold his hand to help him down to a lower rooftop, Eric got angry.

Eric snorted and started to climb down the building.

Just a moment ago, he was so scared he almost fainted.

"Hurry up and come down."

"Alright, alright, I got it."

"Let's go," Eric urged, and I followed him down.

---

"...This is the capital's theater. It's quite large, isn't it?"

Looking up at the large, brick-colored dome-shaped theater in front of us, I let out a sigh of admiration.

There are many people, including citizens and what look like nobles, crowding into this theater.

The entrance has a clean white staircase, and the dome is adorned with many windows, making it a very luxurious structure. However, I think the statue of a man in the center is unnecessary.

He seems like someone with a strong desire for self-promotion. He's probably the founder of this theater.

In any case, it's clear at a glance that a lot of money has been spent, so I'm looking forward to the play.

"It's expensive, isn't it?"

"Well, it's a theater run by nobles. It's bound to be grand."

Hearing that, I understood why the theater is so luxurious.

So, that statue of the man is the noble who runs it.

We entered the theater and bought tickets at the noble's reception, then took our seats.

Inside, the theater is naturally circular, with seats on the first, second, and third floors, all filled with red seats.

The only non-red areas are the stairs and aisles. The stage is currently covered by a red curtain, probably because it's still being set up.

Behind that curtain, actors and crew members are probably running around busily.

Our noble seats are on the front row of the second floor. Most commoners are on the first floor, and if you pay more, you can go up to the second floor. The slightly well-dressed people around us are probably merchants.

However, no matter how much money a commoner pays, they can't go up to the third floor. That's the class difference, I guess.

I don't really care about such heights. It might be more comfortable with the service, but it costs five gold coins to go to the third floor.

It's really unnecessarily expensive.

Eric was lamenting that he had spent most of his allowance on today's meal and the second-floor ticket.

I have a lot of allowance from selling Reversi and other things, so I'm fine. I think I've earned enough for a lifetime with this.

We wait, watching as families and other citizens take their seats.

Before we know it, the theater is filled with people and becomes lively.

"Dad! The Dragon Slayer play is about to start, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. The actors are cool, but I hear the real Lord Nord is even cooler!"

"Really!? Then I'll marry that person!"

"...Haha, aiming high, huh?"

I hear the innocent voice of a girl and the dry voice of a father.

Lord Nord only has Lady Elna as his wife, so give up, girl. Butting in there is a path of suffering.

Other nobles have multiple wives and mistresses, but not us.

We have Silvio as the heir. Personally, I'd like a younger brother to bully or a cute sister.

"My dad is quite popular, isn't he?"

"Defeating a dragon isn't something that happens every day."

"How did he do it?"

"I've already seen it, so you'll find out by watching the play."

"Right."

As we chat, a male host appears in front of the stage curtain.

After he greets the audience and steps aside, the lights gradually dim, and the curtain rises.

The Dragon Slayer play is about to begin.

The curtain disappears, and the stage and actors are illuminated by the lights.

There stands a blonde, blue-eyed man with a refreshing appearance.

He is wearing an adventurer-style outfit in blue, with a sword at his waist.

Is this the actor playing Lord Nord?

He is indeed handsome, but he looks a bit unreliable.

Still, the female audience is delighted, squealing with joy.

To me, he just looks like a cheap imitation compared to the real Lord Nord and Silvio.

"No, your father is just too handsome. That guy is a fine young man, too, you know?"

Eric whispers, perhaps noticing my subtle expression.

"U-uh, I know."

Still, the real Lord Nord is definitely much cooler.

That cheap imitation would probably be instantly defeated by Sister Elinora in practice.

"Once upon a time, there was a young adventurer named Nord."

A clear female narrator's voice echoes through the theater.

It's probably amplified by a magic device or wind magic, as I can hear it clearly from where I am.

As the narrator's voice sounds, the cheap imitation starts walking down the path with a refreshing voice.

His exaggerated walking style is typical of a play, but it's understandable since this is a performance.

Seeing his smug expression, I have the urge to slap him, but I restrain myself.

From the lines the cheap imitation speaks, it seems he is on a journey from his village to the capital.

"Right! On such a nice day, let's sing a song!"

The cheap imitation, who was walking normally, suddenly says this after introducing himself.

Then, cheerful music starts playing, and the cheap imitation begins to sing and walk around the stage.

He doesn't seem to be in a hurry to reach the capital.

However, he is a professional actor, and his singing is good.

The cheap imitation elegantly turns and performs graceful steps, moving around the entire stage.

His playful dance and refreshing voice captivate many of the female audience members.

I can hear sighs of admiration from various parts of the audience.

Eventually, the song ends, and the cheap imitation starts walking and talking casually.

Then, tense music plays, and three goblins jump out from the side of the stage, hidden in the grass.

"Goblins!"

The cheap imitation draws his sword and shouts.

Of course, real goblins don't appear; they are men with green body paint. They all have hunched backs, dirty leather armor, and clubs in their hands.

"Gii! Giii!"

Their strange cries and characteristic movements are very goblin-like.

They remind me of the goblins I encountered with Rumba. The actors must have observed and studied real goblins.

The goblins jump around and wave their hands wildly, facing off against the cheap imitation.

The peaceful scene is suddenly disrupted by the appearance of the goblins, and tension fills the stage.

"...He was singing so casually, which is why the goblins came."

"Don't say that, even if you think it."

I must have said it out loud, as Eric whispers a comment.

Meanwhile, the tense music continues, and the cheap imitation and the goblins are sizing each other up.

Ordinary goblins usually charge without considering distance, but this is a stage performance.

It's done to make the scene more interesting. It's not about being realistic.

"Gii!"

The goblins move first, one of them charging at the cheap imitation with a strange cry.

The cheap imitation easily dodges the club being swung wildly and strikes the goblin's stomach in one fluid motion.

"Kyaaauu!"

The goblin falls, groaning in pain. Of course, he's not really being hit.

The cheap imitation's movements are graceful, probably because he has studied martial arts.

"Hah!"

With a short exhalation, the cheap imitation cuts down the charging goblin.

After defeating the last goblin, the cheap imitation sheathes his sword with a pretentious motion.

"Phew, I'm in good form today. However, the frequency of monster appearances has been strange lately. I have a bad feeling about it."

Saying this, the cheap imitation finally walks down the path and exits the stage. The three goblins remain motionless on the stage.

It's natural to want to check if the goblin actors are really not moving at such moments.

---

The scene changes, and the cheap imitation arrives at the capital.

He marvels at the bustling city and enters the Adventurer's Guild.

Inside, the large room is filled with many adventurers causing a commotion in the attached tavern.

Everyone is holding mugs, shouting loudly, and eating. Some are arm wrestling, and others are cheering them on, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

A few female adventurers are present, adding a touch of moisture to the scene. Although fewer than men, female adventurers do exist. It's good for advertising that adventurers aren't all men.

"...This is the capital's Adventurer's Guild?"

The cheap imitation mutters, looking at the commotion in the guild.

"You're a new face around here, aren't you?"

One of the adventurers, who was making a racket near the entrance, approaches the cheap imitation.

His lecherous smile doesn't look welcoming. He's probably drunk, as his face is red.

"Is this a template?"

"Te-te-emplate?"

Since the word "template" doesn't exist, Eric pronounces it with a unique intonation and tilts his head.

Why does he emphasize "te"? If I stay silent, Eric loses interest and looks back at the stage.

It annoyed me when he said, "This guy always says weird things..." I'll take Eric on a sky hike if I get the chance.

"You're pretty scrawny. I thought you were a girl at first?"

The first man to approach laughs, and the others join in.

The cheap imitation tries to brush off the man and walk past, probably thinking it's not worth dealing with such people.

"What, ignoring me?"

However, this seems to irritate the man, who tries to punch the cheap imitation as he walks past.

But the cheap imitation easily dodges, and the man trips over the cheap imitation's outstretched foot and falls.

Ha ha, this is a technique Lord Nord often uses in practice. He trips me when my wooden sword swings too wide. Was it a coincidence?

"Haha, Bors got tripped by a newbie. Pathetic!"

One adventurer's taunt shifts the laughter from the cheap imitation to the man.

"He's stronger than he looks."

"Maybe Bors drank too much and tripped himself? Haha!"

Embarrassed by being laughed at by many people after being tripped by a newbie, the man's face turns red.

Seeing this, the cheap imitation sighs, and the man lunges at him again.

"You bastard!"

The cheap imitation dodges without any trouble.

The other adventurers, instead of trying to stop the sudden fight, cheer it on and make it more intense.

Bets on who will win can even be heard.

Seeing this, I thought it was a scene I had seen before.

"Excuse me, can you move?"

Just as the cheap imitation and the angry man are about to clash near the entrance, a girl's voice is heard from the entrance.

Her clear, ringing voice stops the movements of everyone in the guild.

The girl who suddenly interrupts is a chestnut-haired girl. She's just trying to enter the guild from outside.

The cheap imitation and the man, who are blocking the entrance, are clearly in the wrong. But the girl doesn't seem to care about the atmosphere.

Her long, lustrous chestnut hair reaches her waist. She has a well-defined face and strong, chestnut-colored eyes. She has a feminine figure and is probably a mage, wearing a robe and holding a long staff.

Who is this girl who suddenly appeared?

I was thinking about it when the adventurer's line revealed her identity.

"...Hey, it's Elna."

The moment I heard that, I almost shouted out loud.

---

I had a hard time writing the play just right.