Without waiting for either of them to respond, the man straightened his collar and began, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gaston Salonen. Most people call me Sir Salonen."
He paused for two seconds, seemingly to gauge their reactions.
When neither of their expressions changed, he said with some disappointment, "Hmm. It seems neither of you pays much attention to opera or stage plays.
"I am a fairly well-known stage director, after all."
His gaze flicked to the play tickets in Isis's hand, and his excitement flared anew. "So you really are here to see 'Mountain God'! I directed this very production!"
Altaïr and Isis exchanged a look.
If so, the man calling himself Sir Salonen was probably an exceptionally accomplished stage director.
According to the Guild receptionist, various theater troupes had adapted and staged at least six or seven versions of "Mountain God" over the past twenty years. The current production had received rave reviews, and tickets were hard to come by.
Among the other spectators who had also arrived early and were waiting outside the theater, someone appeared to recognize him, causing a modest stir. A few people were already preparing to rush over and ask for his autograph.
"This is no place to talk. Just follow me!"
Altaïr frowned. He had no desire to let the man lead them around by the nose, but Isis seemed intrigued, leaving him no choice but to follow the man alongside her through a small side door into the theater.
As they followed a staff corridor backstage, Isis looked around at the scenery and props scattered everywhere, curiosity shining in her eyes.
Sir Salonen explained enthusiastically, "Those are props from a performance of 'In the Lake.' Surely you've heard of 'In the Lake'?
"Ah, and that is a set from 'Phantom of the Snowy Mountains.' We put an enormous amount of work into making it. Even after the run ended, no one in the troupe could bear to throw it away, so we keep it here as decoration."
"Sir Salonen." Altaïr stopped walking. "May I ask what business you actually have with us?"
"Ah, my apologies. When I saw the two of you, your looks and bearing seemed so perfect for the roles that I got a little carried away. How rude of me..."
With a theatrical flourish, Sir Salonen swept one hand up and bowed as though doffing a hat.
He had naturally noticed the displeasure and irritation in Altaïr's eyes, so he stopped beating around the bush. "Here's the thing. You should know... Well, perhaps you don't.
"In short, my production of 'Mountain God' includes an additional scene that earlier versions did not.
"This is no arbitrary addition, mind you. I based the scene on an interview with Guild Master Ota, a firsthand witness to the real events. It is precisely that authenticity that has made this scene so popular!"
"So Ms. Ota is connected to this play?" Isis asked curiously.
Sir Salonen winced at Isis's question. "You truly know nothing about this story, do you?
"The story originally came from Guild Master Ota's own account. Poets and playwrights adapted it over time until it gradually evolved into its current form.
"Let us start at the beginning. As it happens, the actors are putting on their makeup. Having visual references for the characters should make everything easier to follow."
"Yes, please!" Isis nodded rapidly.
Now that Isis was thoroughly engrossed, Altaïr could only sigh and humor her. They had nothing better to do anyway.
"Have you heard of the Fonron Great Forest?"
"You mean the Bateyubatomu Great Forest in the Fonron Region?"
"Exactly! The story unfolds against that vast green sea!" Sir Salonen's voice carried an artist's distinctive romantic flair.
"A handsome yet melancholy young nobleman, weary of lavish banquets and an endless parade of hollow social obligations, travels alone to the Fonron Great Forest to clear his mind."
"??"
Altaïr's expression plainly said, "Do you even hear yourself?"
A wealthy young nobleman, going alone into the Great Forest to clear his mind?
Was he trying to feed himself to a Nargacuga?
Isis was also a Hunter, so her thoughts clearly followed the same path. She was blunter and quicker to speak, so she said, "The Bateyubatomu Great Forest is an exceptionally dangerous hunting ground. No ordinary person could go there alone."
Sir Salonen stopped and turned to her. In the patient tone of an adult humoring a mischievous child, he said, "That isn't important, Miss Isis. It isn't important."
As he spoke, he pushed open a dressing-room door. The actor getting ready inside saw Sir Salonen enter and hurried to his feet to greet him.
He was a strikingly handsome young man with fair skin, sharply defined features, and wavy hair that gleamed like gold. His costume was trimmed in gold from head to toe; all that remained was to stamp "wealthy young nobleman" across his forehead.
Admittedly, having a concrete visual reference made it much easier to picture the scene.
Almost at once, the same absurd image took shape in Altaïr's and Isis's minds: an idiot dressed like a coin purse, wandering aimlessly through the perilous Great Forest.
Sir Salonen nodded to the actor without a word, then led Altaïr and Isis out of the dressing room, leaving the actor and his makeup artist utterly baffled.
"The wealthy young nobleman strolls through the Great Forest, bathing in starlight and reciting poems of freedom beneath the bright moon..." Sir Salonen closed his eyes as though immersing himself in the scene.
Isis leaned close and whispered into Altaïr's ear, "How has a Nargacuga not carried him off yet...?"
Altaïr's mouth twitched, but he said nothing.
Sir Salonen evidently missed their whispered exchange. He continued in a tone of rapt admiration, "What he failed to notice was a pair of eyes quietly watching him from among the dark shadows of the trees."
"Here comes the Nargacuga!" Isis whispered excitedly to Altaïr.
"She was an innocent, guileless indigenous girl."
Isis: "?"
Why wasn't it a Nargacuga?
"She wore a strange garment woven from butterfly wings and spider silk, and her face was as delicate and lovely as a fairy from legend. Her name was Mushi.
"A very unusual name, is it not? But the people of the Great Forest like to take names from the things around them, so we shall call her Miss Mushi."
Sir Salonen pushed open another dressing-room door.
The performer inside was dressed in... was that a modified Rhopessa Armor Set? A standard Rhopessa Armor Set was considered light armor, but armor was still armor, and it reinforced the wearer's vital areas.
By contrast, the costume before them was closer to a light, fluttering little dress.
The actress was slender and petite, with an exceptionally sweet, lovely face. Prosthetics held her eyelashes out like two tiny brushes, and together with the specialized eye makeup, they made her eyes look alarmingly large, like a butterfly's compound eyes.
So that was why she was called "Miss Mushi"?
Altaïr knew stage makeup tended toward exaggeration, but he still could not understand the appeal. If a pair of eyes like that stared at him from deep in the forest, he would probably draw his sword and attack on instinct.
Isis, however, could not hold back a "Whoa!" Tall as she was, she had always admired petite, adorable girls like this, and she genuinely thought the actress was cute.
Sir Salonen continued, "Tender feelings had begun to blossom, but at that very moment, the 'Mountain God' appeared.
"Its body loomed like a mountain range, and its enormous maw could swallow all things..."
Altaïr immediately perked up. If anything in the story of "Mountain God" truly interested him, it was the Mountain God itself. After all, the Guild receptionist had told him in person that this "Mountain God" was based on a real Elder Dragon.
Sir Salonen, however, offered only a couple of extravagant descriptions before glossing over it.
"Wait, Sir Salonen. Could you say a little more about this 'Mountain God'?" Altaïr could not help speaking up.
"The Mountain God? That isn't the point..."
"But isn't the play itself called 'Mountain God'?"
Sir Salonen gave Altaïr a puzzled look. "The play may be called 'Mountain God,' but that does not make the Mountain God the heart of the story.
"In my view, the 'Mountain God' is symbolic, a tangible manifestation of concepts such as disaster, war, and class conflict.
"Just as all those forces are about to swallow the wealthy young man, Miss Mushi saves him, setting in motion a poignant, beautiful love story."
"Um, is it possible that this 'Mountain God' really is a Monster?"
"Hahaha! Why would you think that? That would be far too literal for a work of art!"
* * *
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