WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ SSS-Class Revival Hunter ◈
Chapter 189: Prima Donna (1)
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-Sold out! All seats sold out again!
The response to the dance drama was nothing short of explosive.
-The legendary Fiery Sword Dance, so lifelike that even the law enforcement was dispatched! Followed by Frolicking in the Burning Mansion! Even Demon King Ester! The legend of sold-out performances continues!
-A dance drama unfolding through the actors' expressions and ensemble dance!
-Join the new trend of the age!
The scale of the Dog Noise Troupe expanded rapidly.
We hired ticketing staff and added more actors.
Even then, unable to keep up with the demand, we could only scream in joy.
-Welcome!
[Current Heretical Erosion Rate is 44%.]
-To a stage where every gesture inspires fervor and every sweep of an arm becomes temptation!
-Until every life becomes a dance!
[Current Heretical Erosion Rate is 32%.]
-Cheer at the sight of Aura's flames!
I trained the actors even more vigorously.
"Keep your chin up! Always stay relaxed! Anger makes fists clench, and disgust furrows the brow. Your body must react according to your emotions. The more your emotions align with your body, the more naturally your Aura manifests! Ready!"
Clap!
At my clap, the troupe members simultaneously executed the movements.
"Good! Next!"
Clap!
The actors moved their limbs according to the choreography I had devised. Hah. Their hot breaths washed across the stage. Hoo. Beads of sweat fell from their foreheads.
"Next!"
Body movements commonly used by Earth Spirit Tribe in primitive times.
Forms built up by the Divine Art of the Demonic Heaven over countless ages.
Blending these two origins, I taught the troupe members the choreography.
"Okay! Next!"
Thump!
With the most primal rhythm and the most lethal moves, the Hopgoblins stamped their feet.
The three original members led the way, and the newly joined actors supported them. In total, twenty-four members danced in perfect timing.
[Current Heretical Erosion Rate is 28%.]
I smiled.
"Good. Take a break."
-Ugor!
-I thought I was going to die!
-So tired... Junior's training is too harsh...
The Hopgoblins collapsed, groaning here and there. Yet, the actors' faces were far from gloomy.
Expressions that showed how good it felt to work up a sweat.
They wore smiles possible only for those whose daily existence was not estranged from their lives.
'Hmm.'
Is this good enough for now?
'I think I should retire soon.'
-What?
Ssonia was startled.
Ever since I possessed Ssonia, Ssonia had floated nearby as a spirit, delighted each day as her body rose to fame as a celebrated actor.
-Kekerkker, retire?
'Yes, retire from your body. I came to this era for a mission. Now that the mission is nearing completion, I should return your body to you.'
-No! I mean, that's impossible!
Ssonia jumped.
-You've come this far, and now you talk of retirement! Lord Kekerkker, you're Guru's greatest actor, an all-time legend in the history of the Earth Spirit Tribe, and the first elf in history to achieve tremendous success as a prima donna in a blood-and-fire drama! Retirement is impossible! Impossible!
'Good.'
I grinned.
'Wasn't becoming a successful actor your dream? Well, you've succeeded. Now enjoy your successful life to the fullest.'
-But, but!
'Are you scared?'
-.......
Ssonia fell silent.
I shrugged.
'Understandably so. Although you've always wanted success, this isn't your own doing, but something I single-handedly created. If I suddenly leave, you'll be overwhelmed, right?'
-Err… Errr….
'Retire, then.'
I suggested the simplest option.
'Legend of an actor, appeared like a comet but disappeared like one too! Announce retirement and say [I’ve reached the top, so I have no more interest]! Sure, it'll cause a stir. But maybe it’ll even garner more admiration.'
-.......
'Sounds cool, right?'
From the outside, it does.
'If you don't appear on stage, no one will know you've changed. You've earned money, and your fame is tremendous. Enjoy a glamorous retirement.'
-That... seems fine.
Ssonia's lips moved uncertainly.
-That's true.... You're right, Lord Kekerkker. I suppose I was overthinking it.
'Then you don't mind if I invite your parents to the next performance, right?'
-What? ...What?
'Your family. They threw you out, so you should show them how successful you've become without their help. Boast and show off. I hear the most satisfying people to show off to are your own family.'
-Ah....
'Why? You don't want to show off to your parents?'
-N-no. It's not that at all....
'Then I'll invite them.'
I took out an invitation and handed it to a nearby ticket seller, another young elf. When elves first entered the workforce, they ran all over looking for jobs that paid.
"Please deliver this to the three-story building with the green roof on Fallen Leaves Hill."
-Chief Choreographer.
The young ticket seller looked prim.
-I'm sorry, but I'm the troupe's ticket seller, not an errand runner. It may seem insignificant to others, but I take pride in my affiliation and profession.
"How admirable. Could I buy that pride for one gold coin?"
-You said Fallen Leaves Hill, correct? I'll be right back!
The elf sped off with the invitation and gold coin.
-Ah.
That was all Ssonia let out. Ssonia awkwardly drew back an arm, seeming not to know why she had reached out.
'I've invited them to special seats. I'll set the price at exactly the value of the cart you took when you left home. A symbolic price. What do you think?'
-...Yes. I think that's fine....
Ssonia kept glancing in the direction the ticket seller had run.
Time passed.
[Black Dragon Master successfully completes the quest!]
News from my teammates, who had been quiet for a while, began to come in.
Unlike last time, each of us were working on our quests separately.
'Black Dragon Master finished first.'
Although I had pushed her down in the rankings, she was still a hunter who reigned over the Tower's foremost guild.
'Such experience.'
As I marveled inwardly, a well-groomed elderly vampire visited as a client just two days later.
"Hello."
"......?"
I was as usual training the members.
We had definitely closed the theater doors for practice, yet somehow the elderly vampire walked straight in. The visitor then looked at me with a beaming smile.
‘Could this be a stalker fan?’
I had started to notice this sort of fan recently.
However, the vampire's attire was a bit too grand for a stalker fan. A bit too conspicuous, perhaps? A black suit, leather boots, a cane with a gold-plated handle, and silver rings jingling on their shirt.
“Ah. Sorry, but it's not showtime now. If you want to see the actors training, you should make a reservation with the guide...."
“Hmm.”
A deep voice came from the elderly vampire.
“We need to make reservations to meet, huh? I didn't know that. Should I apologize for not knowing?”
Wait.
Their voice was like a cool elderly voice, but somehow the way they spoke… felt familiar?
"......."
Without letting the visitor notice, I raised my Aura and wrapped it around the elderly vampire, but it stopped as though blocked by a transparent barrier.
To stop Aura like this required a profound mastery of its use.
A black aura slowly seeped from the elderly vampire's cane.
“Wait, could it be….”
“Hehe.”
The unfamiliar elderly visitor chuckled with a familiar cadence.
I instinctively pointed at them, my mouth agape.
“Black Dragon Master…!?”
“Exactly. I knew it was you.”
The vampire smiled like a child who had succeeded in a secretive prank.
“What? Why? How did you end up looking like that...?”
“You're one to talk. People would love to hear that the King of Death possessed an elf.”
The troupe members, engrossed in their practice, glanced over here. Sensing danger, I quickly took the vampire to a dark corner of the theater.
“How did you know it was me? And, didn’t you clear your quest?”
“Yes, I cleared my quest, but I haven’t declared the stage clear yet. If I left the stage and had bad luck, I might have to wait all by myself until the rest of you cleared it. That sounded boring, so I came to see what everyone else was doing.”
“Wow….”
Amazed, I observed the vampire, no, Black Dragon Master.
No wonder the outfit had seemed so flamboyant. It was exactly Black Dragon Master's taste.
“You look fantastic in your elder years…”
“Thanks.”
Black Dragon Master smiled gently.
A smile I had learned to emulate.
“You should take a picture and show it to the Duchess. She’ll love it.”
“I’ve been dying to see Raviel recently….”
“Sounds like that's a recent thing. By the way, I knew you were the King of Death because I asked if there was anyone who suddenly became famous in the largest city of the Earth Spirit Tribe.”
“That's all you needed to guess it was me?”
“Well, who else could it be? The King of Death. You have a knack for monopolizing all the craziness in the world.”
“Now you're falsely accusing an innocent man.”
“Anyway, I'm here to see.”
Black Dragon Master peered out to look at the stage.
“Huh. You really are running a troupe. Dance?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“You dance well? I didn’t know that.”
“It’s called dance, but it’s actually a martial dance. I adapted martial movements into choreography. It’s tough, but I’m managing with my Aura.”
“Modesty is…”
Black Dragon Master watched the troupe members practicing and then suddenly said.
“I want to see it.”
The vampire's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“The blood-and-fire drama?”
“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about it. How amazing must it be for the whole city to be ecstatic? When is the next performance?”
“It’s not scheduled yet….”
“Eh.”
“I have quite a few pieces in our repertoire. Um, this is a little embarrassing, but would you like to see just the opening of ‘Frolicking in the Burning Mansion’? I based it on the Tower's tenth floor.”
“That would be great.”
“Okay. Find a comfortable seat.”
I went on stage and clapped my hands.
The Hopgoblin troupe members practicing choreography looked at me.
“All right. Let's begin today's final practice. We'll do the group choreography from the opening of Frolicking in the Burning Mansion. No one has forgotten it, right? Good. Start when I play the music.”
I slowly played the background music with my Aura.
The members demonstrated the choreography, familiar with the movements.
Frolicking in the Burning Mansion: children playing inside [Hellfire Mansion].
Sometimes flashy.
But always following the movements once cherished by the primitive Earth Spirit Tribe.
The first part of the blood play ended with the choreography of children running around to escape from a slave trader.
“Great work, everyone! Dismissed! Feel free to stay and practice alone. Let me know if you're staying to practice. Yes, great job. See you tomorrow!”
After bidding farewell to each member, I headed to the audience seats.
In the middle sat the elderly vampire, Black Dragon Master.
“How was it?”
"......."
Black Dragon Master was silent.
Lost in thought?
She rested her chin on her hand and stared at the now-empty stage.
“……That’s amazing. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Black Dragon Master stood up abruptly.
“Black Dragon Master?”
“Just wait. King of Death. Even if you clear, don’t declare it! Absolutely not! Ah, try to stay here tonight. It’s annoying if we miss each other…. Teleport!”
Black Dragon Master disappeared. I felt her Aura presence above. Looking up through the hole in the roof, I saw Black Dragon Master’s figure floating, but soon she disappeared too.
Left alone, I wondered, “What was that…?”
The next day revealed everything.
[Paladin has successfully completed her quest!]
Thirty minutes after hearing Tower's voice.
Whoosh-
Black Dragon Master’s signature teleportation was activated.
And the sight before me was surreal.
“You! Why are you in such a rush!”
Splash!
An odd sound echoed in the dirt and stone theater. Water. Splash. Where the sound came from… there was a [bathtub].
Yes, a bathtub for bathing.
“The Gill-Fin Tribe loses strength without water! How many times have I told you? You can't just shove me into a fish tank and teleport...!”
In the tub, a gilled mermaid splashed, furiously thrashing her tail. Black Dragon Master, seemingly unapologetic, casually said, "Yeah, sorry, sorry" while comforting the mermaid in the tub.
The Gill-Fin Tribe.
Could it be.
“Paladin…?”
The mermaid froze.
The mermaid slowly turned her head, meeting my gaze.
“Paladin, right?”
"......."
The mermaid's tail, which had been splashing furiously, slowly submerged in the water.
But it was a bathtub, so everything was clearly visible.
The mermaid's listless tail swayed in the water.... Yes, it resembled a flatfish languidly swimming in a restaurant tank.
The Paladin was fully clothed.
The Paladin was simply stuck in the tank, flapping a flatfish-like tail.
"Sorry."
In the heavy silence pressing down on the theater, Black Dragon Master casually spoke.
“I know you don't want anyone to see you like this. But there's something I truly have to show you. Once you see it, you'll probably wonder why no one thought of it sooner. You graduated from music college, Paladin. You're still the closest thing to an expert among us....”
“Black Dragon Master.”
"Uh-huh?"
“Die.”
Splash!
That was when Black Dragon Master got doused in tub water.
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