Faced with the horrified crowd, Francesca hurried to explain.
For one thing, the "wealthy young man" and "Miss Mushi" had actually become sworn siblings.
For another, "Miss Mushi" had joined the Research Commission and spent more than a decade conducting research in the New World.
The indigenous people of the Great Forest loved eating insects, and "Miss Mushi" had simply gone home to enjoy some local cuisine... and so on.
Her explanations managed to clear up some of the misunderstanding.
Even so, the crowd still regarded Gael rather strangely. In a story they had followed for more than ten years, the supposed couple had turned out to be sworn siblings in real life, while the "male lead" had ended up with the "villainess" and even had a daughter with her.
Looking back, "Mountain God" suddenly seemed rather flat and unsatisfying...
Gael finally took the initiative and pulled an old photograph of the real "Miss Mushi" from her bag. Her lively, adorable appearance, far beyond anything they had imagined, finally soothed the crowd's wounded hearts.
Even the actress playing "Miss Mushi" blushed. She had been quite pleased with her costume and makeup, but now felt embarrassed, as though she had only produced a clumsy imitation.
Sir Salonen pleaded earnestly, "Please put on a few more performances!" Altaïr and Isis firmly refused.
They had only stumbled into the performance by chance and treated it as a bit of fun. Long-term work or recurring cameos were out of the question; as High Rank Hunters, they simply did not have that kind of free time.
Altaïr did, however, offer Sir Salonen an idea. Grom-Baum was the capital of art, and there had to be plenty of local Hunters who longed to perform onstage.
The two old-timers, Ms. Ota and Mr. Scar, were perfect examples. Both were over sixty, yet they still wanted their moment in the spotlight.
It should not be too difficult to ask Guild Master Ota to make a few introductions and find more suitable Hunters for guest roles.
Gael and Francesca's plan to take commemorative photographs also went off without a hitch.
They did not need to throw money around at all. The moment the actors heard that the photos would be shown to the real "wealthy young man" and "Miss Mushi," they threw themselves into the project with twice their usual enthusiasm.
Gael and Francesca could arrange the shots however they pleased, and the actors would strike any pose asked of them.
They took the melodramatic shot Francesca had planned in advance, with "one on the left, one on the right, and another farther back in the middle."
They took one of the "villainess" embracing "Miss Mushi" while the "wealthy young man" slumped despondently to one side.
They took one of the "villainess" ordering the "wealthy young man" to serve her tea.
They took one of Gael with one arm around "Miss Mushi" and the other around the "villainess"... They tried every idea they could think of.
Francesca felt that once these photos reached her father, he would never have to worry about low blood pressure again.
—--
"Ah, that was fun!" Gael was beaming as they bid the theater troupe farewell and stepped out of the theater.
"Francesca, Aunt Gael, what brings you two to Grom-Baum?" Isis had barely had a chance to speak to them while they were surrounded by the crowd, and now she finally voiced her curiosity.
Francesca answered offhandedly, "Mom and I both had some time off, so we came to see the play. Mostly, we came to take pictures."
Altaïr's mouth twitched. They had come all the way from Dundorma to Grom-Baum just to see a stage play. These two really were...
Single-minded.
"What about you two? Are you here on vacation too? By my count, your first assigned quest should be coming up about now. Are you prepared?" Gael crossed her arms and unconsciously slipped back into the tone she had used as an Instructor.
She seemed much less curious about how they had ended up making cameos onstage.
"We already completed it," Altaïr replied. "Nadia led the team, so it went fairly smoothly."
"Nadia led the team? Then you were lucky. Is she still here?"
"Mm." Altaïr briefly explained how Nadia had taken on a disciple.
"Oh? A disciple who caught Nadia's eye? I have to meet her. You youngsters go enjoy yourselves. I'm heading to the Guild Hall to find Nadia."
With that, Gael waved and headed off on her own.
Francesca looked at Altaïr and Isis. Both were still wearing their armor underlayers and looked for all the world like a couple in matching outfits. The thought struck her with sudden clarity: I really shouldn't be here.
"Well, you two have fun. I'll just..." Francesca started to leave, but Isis clearly had no intention of letting her slip away so easily.
Isis caught her hand at once. "Francesca, did you leave the Tidal Island advance team too?"
"Oh, little Isis, you shouldn't poke at someone's old wounds so bluntly."
"S-sorry! I didn't mean it like that!"
"I was only joking. I came to terms with it a long time ago. They no longer needed me there, so I left. That's all," Francesca said with a bright smile.
Altaïr stole a glance at her. He knew that Francesca did care about having her project "taken away," no matter how indifferent she pretended to be.
She had simply resigned herself to it and was trying to make herself feel better.
"I... I meant to ask what you plan to do next and where you want to go," Isis explained. "Once we both advance to High Rank, we'll probably be traveling constantly.
It'll probably become harder for us to meet or even exchange letters... so I wanted us to settle on a mailing address we could use to stay in touch. That way, if you ever need our help, you'll be able to contact us more easily."
"Waaah, Isis really does care about me!" Francesca wrapped her arms around Isis's waist and pretended to sob.
A few seconds later, Francesca let go of Isis. Her mood seemed somewhat brighter than before.
"The Royal Academy invited me to join the project establishing an aerial research lab, and I accepted. I'll be working with them for a while."
Isis tilted her head. "An aerial research lab? The Knowledge Seeker? That large Airship the Royal Academy finished building not long ago?"
"You know about it?" Francesca was a little surprised.
"Mm. We traveled aboard it during the Kuarusepu Hunt."
"Oh, so you were the Hunter who helped them Hunt the Kuarusepu!" Understanding dawned on Francesca's face. "That's right. The Royal Academy intends to turn the Knowledge Seeker into a large aerial research lab capable of rivaling the Wycademy's Soaratorium.
But the ship alone isn't enough. Personnel matter just as much. They invited me because they want me to oversee staffing and supplies."
Altaïr understood at once.
Francesca might not yet be qualified to spearhead a large-scale project like the Tidal Island expedition, but she had an exceptional gift for managing manpower and supplies.
Her value went far beyond her family's resources. She was also remarkably good with people, adept at building networks, making introductions, and bringing the right people together. The Tidal Island expedition had never run short of supplies, and Francesca deserved much of the credit for that.
Francesca had introduced them to Nymera and recruited the elite Hunters of the advance team's first wave from far and wide.
That was precisely the ability the Royal Academy valued.
"If you ever want to contact me, send your letters to the Royal Academy. They have ways to get them into my hands quickly.
Oh, right. I nearly forgot about this." Francesca suddenly snapped her fingers.
"When I met with the Knowledge Seeker's project lead, he mentioned a research and investigation project that required elite Hunters. He asked me to introduce any suitable candidates I knew.
I haven't formally started the job yet, so I didn't give it much thought. But if you're free and interested, you could go hear what they have in mind.
They usually investigate particularly rare Monsters, including Rare Species.
If that interests you, let me know. I'll take you along, and I should be able to negotiate some very favorable terms for you."
Altaïr and Isis conferred in hushed voices, then nodded. "First, we need to head north, regroup with Morgan, and help him finish crafting his High Rank equipment.
If the timing works out afterward, we'll find you once we're back in Dundorma."