Chapter 157 – Theater Concept

The responses from the two came quickly. Auria brought Justia and Dominique to visit my house. I invited the three inside to hear what they had to say.

“I’d love to try this, and I’m happy you brought this proposal to us.”

“I also… think it sounds interesting and would like to try. But—”

“Yeah. Theodore-kun seems busy… Wouldn’t this be too much for you?”

The fact that they came to talk on the same day showed they were quite enthusiastic, but… they seemed hesitant because I appeared busy.

“Not at all. If I thought it would be too much, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

“O-oh, thank you.”

The two bowed their heads.

“Well, I have my own reasons or motivations too. There’s quite a gap before my next busy period, and Magic Construction would be perfect training for magic control.”

“…Hmm.”

Auria glanced briefly at Grace, then nodded as if understanding. She seemed to have guessed my reasons.

“—So with that, I’d like to move forward with various discussions, if that’s alright?”

“Indeed. Then let the Adventurer Guild cooperate as well. We’ll need to settle matters like location and schedule.”

“Um. Regarding the location, I’d like to get back to you on that later.”

I planned to consult King Melvin and have him arrange a suitable place.

“As for specific dates, we’ll need to consider the progress of the work.”

“Ah, what should we do?”

Though enthusiastic, perhaps because this was rather sudden, Dominique asked somewhat anxiously as the discussions became more concrete.

Regarding their musical skills, I thought they were fine as they were. After all, Rosemary, who likely had refined tastes, had been impressed.

“Nothing special… but it would help if you could practice various songs in advance.”

When I told them this, Dominique nodded with a serious expression. Then… she glanced toward Irmhild, who had been listening nearby.

Hmm… They often sing and play together when something comes up. They might be happier if Irmhild joined them.

However, Irmhild accompanies me as part of my Party for Labyrinth dives and training. Considering that, they probably hesitated to invite Irmhild themselves.

So I decided to sound her out.

“What about you, Irm? You always played together with them.”

“M-me?”

Irmhilt looked slightly surprised.

“You three should discuss it and decide.”

“If Irmhild wants to try, I’ll support her.”

“I’m the same… would that be okay?”

At my and Sheila’s words, Irmhild gauged their reactions… Dominique and Justia brightened up.

“I’d rather play with three people than just two.”

“If Irm-chan joins us, we can expand our range too.”

“Mmm… Thank you, both of you. I’ll do my best too.”

Irmhild smiled. Then the three gathered and began discussing.

“We don’t want to interfere with Irm’s training or Exploration.”

“We have our healing duties too.”

“In that case—”

After various discussions like this, they decided to gather and practice after Labyrinth exploration and training ended.

Dominique and Justia also had to be stationed at the Guild as part of the healing team. Doing it after that would probably work well for everyone.

Hmm… In that case, maybe I should create a studio or soundproof room in the basement where they can practice without reservation. It would also give the two more opportunities to go out.

“Hmm. Then I’ll arrange for escort personnel from the Guild for transportation.”

“In that case, what about Forestbird? They’re skilled, personable, and trustworthy.”

“Indeed. Then let’s issue a Request to them.”

With the concert plans settled, I decided to consult King Melvin immediately.

I had Albert make an appointment, and we discussed the concert in the Royal Castle’s salon.

“—So that’s why I’d like to hold a concert.”

“…Hmm. Holding it at this time might be good.”

After hearing my explanation, King Melvin nodded appreciatively.

“How so?”

“Between the Demon attacks and the cult’s assault… various things have piled up. Events that ease the people’s anxieties would be welcome to me as well. Promoting the arts is also something to encourage. It would provide good stimulation.”

I see. It seemed this was quite timely for King Melvin too.

“What about the venue setup location?”

“The square in front of the Adventurer Guild would work well—it’s near the Market and easily accessible. Creating a space capable of hosting such events would be quite good considering future needs as well. Leave the necessary materials and funding to me.”

“Understood. I’ll survey the site, make various decisions, then come speak with you again.”

I had been thinking of creating something like an outdoor concert hall… but with King Melvin providing this much support, maybe we could even build something like a theater building.

After all, we’d be using Magic Construction, and Seraphina is strong in acoustics too, so we should be able to create something decent.

For now, I’ll use Earth Magic to create small-scale structures and experiment while developing the concept. Once we actually start building, it’ll be done quickly, so there’s no need to rush.

“Theo-kun. Rather than just holding a concert, couldn’t you use the Magic you employed during Marlene’s paper airplane event for stage effects too?”

Albert suggested.

“Ah, that thing I showed at the workshop?”

“Yeah. Since you’re building the stage, what about incorporating it as a Magic Tool? I think it would make for great effects.”

Now that he mentioned it, though it was improvised, everyone had responded well to it. Apparently Albert was quite enthusiastic about the concert plans too.

“Got it. I’ll design the Spell Formulas while considering the stage structure… Once the concept is settled, we can turn them into Magic Tools, right?”

“Yeah.”

The workflow of me writing the Spell Formulas and Albert and Viola turning them into Magic Tools was our usual pattern.

Unlike the practical tools we use in Labyrinths, these wouldn’t see Hard use and would likely consist of relatively simple spells. We wouldn’t need to make them in large quantities either… so the burden on the makers shouldn’t be too great.

“…Hmm. You seem to be planning something interesting again. While I’m curious about what kind of Magic Tools you intend to create, I won’t ask for details. Somehow, the things you make never get boring to watch.”

King Melvin placed his hand on his chin and laughed, looking somewhat amused.

“I’m just turning what Theo-kun designs into Magic Tools.”

“I’ve heard that creating Magic Tools exactly according to Spell Formulas requires considerable skill and knowledge.”

“Not every Magic Engineer could do it, I imagine.”

Albert handles that aspect reliably. During adjustments, the Magic Tools’ usability comes closer to what I imagine, and recently he’s been better at understanding my intentions, reducing the adjustment workload itself.

“If anything, Theo-kun arranges the Spell Formulas from the start to make them easier to convert into Magic Tools.”

Albert gave a slightly troubled wry smile.

“I too look forward to seeing the finished products.”

I felt like the bar had been raised. Well, I’ll work hard to present something worthy.

“Ah, also regarding your reward… I think it would be best to do it formally at a public gathering before the nobles. We must also reward your companions for their efforts, so if you have any wishes, we’ll try to accommodate them. You should state your hopes now while you can.”

When he said this, I thought for a moment. If I were an ordinary vassal, it would probably be a title and lands… but that would increase miscellaneous duties and limit my mobility, which isn’t really what I want.

Come to think of it, my newly repaired Lunaworm coat had taken more damage… It got scorched and holed by Gardinis’s Magic.

“Then—for me, if there are Robes or other Magician-specific Armor available. I’ll ask the others directly about their preferences.”

“Hmm… Then perhaps having you select from the Treasure Room, like with the Staff, would be best. I hope there’s something that meets your standards.”

Though King Melvin said that… considering a Staff like Ouroboros emerged from there, who knows what might be sleeping in the Royal Castle’s Treasure Room. We could probably enhance our Party’s Equipment too.