"...?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Oh, uh... Esther asked me to ask you."
Esther was one of the three students who had come looking for Leo earlier.
I had wondered why she turned around at the end. So, this is what she wanted to ask.
She was trying to find out if I managed to get 10th place in the department through short-term memorization.
If I say yes, they'd want me to play Faust.
"No."
I'll just answer the question for now, but it was an interesting idea.
Although I didn't cram, it was true that my good memory made it easier for me to rank highly.
Still, the fact that they'd consider giving me the role was surprising. They really want to pull off this play somehow.
'They're really desperate.'
"Got it. Thanks for the answer. And... Elias!"
The vice president rubbed his hands together, signaling Elias to memorize the script somehow. Elias lay back on the lounge sofa and flipped open the script.
"Well, alright. I'll just read this then, Luca."
"Go ahead. I'm going to go find Narce."
"Oh, some kids said Narce went out looking for Oswald earlier."
"Really?"
Now that I think about it, Narce wasn't in the Class 2 rehearsal room when I peeked in earlier.
"If Narce was here, Pai would've come running. It's always looking for you."
True.
Even if I couldn't see Pai, it always knew where everyone was.
Pai would usually sneak into my pocket or jump to the windowsill, but since it hasn't, Narce must really be outside.
*Squeak—*
[We are looking for first-year magic student Amalia Castel from Class 2. Once again, we are looking for...]
Just then, an announcement came over the speakers.
Judging by the fact that the student was a first-year in the magic department, they must be looking for that student I heard about earlier.
'It seems the school's been notified.'
Now, it's up to the school to respond.
Personally, it's concerning that two similar cases happened on the same day, around the same time, but I don't know how the school will interpret these two disappearances.
'No matter how I think about it, this feels off. Should I mention it?'
I headed outside to find a school security guard.
After asking them to pass on the information to the Investigation Bureau, I returned to the student union and sat on the sofa next to Elias.
"Where did you go?"
"I went to report the missing students. It's all done now."
Fortunately, the security guard didn't show any resistance and agreed readily.
The school might have already reported it as a disappearance, but it's better to report it twice than not at all.
"Really? Then use your special class memory skills to save Class 2."
I told you I didn't cram....
I responded to Elias's teasing with a smile and opened the script.
Just as I was starting to yawn from reading quietly for so long, Elias suddenly sat up and whispered in my ear.
"...Is this your first time giving false testimony? Look within yourself. Do you know more about yourself than about Mr. Schubertlein's death?"
"...."
All of a sudden?
He wants me to respond.
I replied with the first thing that came to mind.
"You are an irredeemable sophist."
"Oh, so you did cram for midterms~?"
"No."
I didn't intend to memorize it, but given the situation, I'd been reading the script as if I were studying.
Elias whispered even more quietly.
"Luca, you're perfect for this. With 1 hour and 30 minutes left, you're the only one who could memorize a 40-minute script. I knew it since you jumped from 98th to 10th place."
Before I could respond, Elias continued.
"You're worried, right? Your brother won't like you playing Faust."
"He wouldn't hate it, but he wouldn't expect it either."
"What about you? Do you want to do it?"
"I'm not really interested. But seeing the kids like this is a little sad."
They've been working hard for the past two weeks.
It was noisy enough to interrupt my divine power studies, so it's memorable.
When I saw them after our conversation earlier, Narce seemed really excited, so I don't feel good about how things have turned out. Not that anyone would feel good in this situation.
"You're kind. Still, if your brother's in the way, I won't push it."
"Well... I won't volunteer, but I wouldn't say no."
"Hmm?"
Elias widened his eyes and looked at me.
'...Now that I've said it, it sounds weird.'
It's not like I brought it up because I want to be in the play; I just feel it's time to share my plan.
I gave Elias a look, and he cast a soundproofing spell.
"Thanks. Eli, did you listen to the Strauch recording?"
"I did. I was curious about what was said."
"Then you'll understand quickly. I need to change impressions on this side too, not just Nicolaus."
Elias furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You're changing strategies? Yeah, keeping this image would be tough."
"Right. I thought I should let you and the others know."
"So, you're not going to be in the play~?"
Elias raised an eyebrow at me.
"If I'm pushed into it, it's fine, but otherwise, no."
Solving this situation could certainly be a good starting point to change Luca's image.
'But there's also something to lose.'
The news would make my brother more interested in my situation for a few days.
Of course, that's why I wouldn't completely reject the opportunity when it arises.
Given that I'm someone the students avoid, if word gets to my brother that I was pushed into this, the situation becomes complex.
'...Isn't this borderline bullying?'
Anyway, the key is not just participating in the event but the factors that led to the decision. Depending on how I end up standing there, my brother's sense of urgency will vary.
"It's fine if you're pushed into it... so I'll just have to push you, then? You playing Faust sounds interesting."
"No need to push me first."
"It'll definitely draw an audience! Hey, won't the whole school show up?"
Not that far, really.
I just chuckled at his words.
By 9 o'clock, Leo returned.
Now it was time for Class 1's performance, so the students moved to the auditorium, leaving the student union quiet.
I was almost done reading the script, with only a few pages left.
Elias sighed and asked, "Why are you here?"
"That's harsh."
Leo flopped into a chair with a tired look.
Elias relayed the professor's words to Leo.
"The professor said they couldn't find him at the other schools."
"I thought so. Even when I went, they were announcing Oswald over there. If they did all that and he's still not showing up…"
"Either he doesn't want to anymore, or something happened. I'm betting on the latter."
Leo replied with a grim face.
"Yeah, I think so too. So I requested an investigation as soon as I left."
"Class 2, please move to the auditorium waiting room by 9:30!"
Someone shouted as they walked through the hallway.
Despite Class 2 students being everywhere, the corridor was dead silent.
Leo looked at the hallway with a troubled expression and stood up.
"Let's go. Our classmates will be there too."
***
"Did you find the protagonist?"
When we entered through the backstage door, a few Class 1 students asked Leo and Elias, their faces annoyingly cheerful. The fact they greeted them so readily suggested they'd known each other since the Third Academy.
Leo shook his head and walked past them.
A Class 1 student called after him.
"Leo, we've got 113 people gathered!"
"…So what…."
Leo murmured with an exasperated look.
'113 is quite a crowd.'
Considering the whole student body is about a thousand, it's a significant number.
"Oh, you can talk like that."
"I don't know what people think I am."
Leo let out a dry laugh, much like earlier, and opened the waiting room door.
As we entered the Class 2 waiting room, the mood was noticeably somber, in stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere outside.
One student blurted out as soon as Leo walked in.
"...Leo, what are we going to do? We've got 40 minutes left."
"...."
Leo only bit his lip, unable to give any answer.
Narce caught my eye and nodded in greeting.
Meanwhile, one student suggested an idea.
"Should we make the audience Faust? What do you think?"
"Mephistopheles would perform solo?"
"Yeah."
"If all the supporting roles are gone, there won't be enough content."
A brief exchange of ideas was followed by silence.
The gloomy atmosphere resumed.
'Hmm….'
They're really down.
Having prepared for this, it must be disheartening to fail before it even starts.
'Maybe I should help a bit.'
I have an idea.
To bring it up, I'll need to run a test first.
I tapped Elias's arm and slipped out of the waiting room.
About five minutes after I left, Elias came out looking for me.
I signaled him over, and without speaking, I activated my divine power.
—"Can you hear me?"
"…?"
Elias widened his eyes and stared at me.
—"Seems like you can hear me."
"What...
!"
Elias's jaw practically dropped.
This is the magic Narce used on me when we went to investigate Dasrothe's interview photo.
I thought it would be useful someday, so I made sure to learn it.
It was worth skipping the play discussions to study divine power.
'Though I didn't expect to use it to help the kids' play….'
—"As long as it works, that's good. Are you confident with improv? Since you've read the script, you know the flow better now, right?"
Elias nodded, still looking bewildered.
Then he whispered quietly.
"The length?"
—"If it ends around 35 minutes, no one will complain. I'll help time it right."
"…Oh, so you're helping this way."
Elias's lips curved into a grin.
He snapped his fingers, casting a spell, likely to prevent others from noticing the magic's flow.
—"Alright, listen. I'll tell you how much to extend and what to say. That should cover the length with improv."
"Right. Timing? We need to consider the delay when you check the script and relay it to me."
—"It might be a little awkward, but we'll have to live with that. But since I memorized the necessary lines, the delay on my end should be minimal."
"You memorized everything?! Then… we should be fine."
Elias whistled as he stroked his chin.
"Tell your friends yourself, Luca. Just say you're giving me a crash course in memorization techniques."
Recalling the plan I'd mentioned, Elias said that and waited for my response.
I hadn't intended to back out completely anyway.
If there's a chance to slightly improve my negative image, I might as well help and use it to my advantage.
"I will."
"Wait a second."
Just as I was about to leave, Elias blocked my path and cast a soundproofing spell.
"Hold on. Don't you think something's off?"
"Hmm?"
"Your brother's informant is that Traut or whatever the magic swordsmanship professor's name is. And Narce relays information to that professor."
"Right."
"Of course, you like to be thorough, so you're considering additional informants. Am I right?"
He's correct.
I nodded.
"But to gain an advantage, you need to advertise your help. Like I said, as a memorization crash course."
Elias emphasized the word "advertise," then tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.
"Ah! Wait. Let's not say you're helping out of pure goodwill. It's true this opportunity is too good to waste. It's a chance to be the hero of Class 2."
That's a bit much….
It's very much like Elias.
Anyway, I wasn't going to say it like that.
I gave a smile, signaling for him to continue, and listened to what he had to say.
If it were anyone else, it might not be worth it, but what the protagonist has to say is always valuable.
"Wouldn't the news of your assistance reach your brother, whether I go out or you get pushed into it? This is an opportunity, Luca. Your image will change more dramatically if you step forward than if I do."
He's right.
Then Elias waved his hand.
"Wait, let me clarify. This won't change your image overnight. But it'll be a stepping stone, right? Lay the foundation now. Opportunities to lay a foundation this big are rare."
'Is he psychic…?'
I was about to say it wouldn't change overnight, but he beat me to it.
"Hmm…."
I hadn't planned on making this big a move, but Elias's words weren't wrong.
If the situation is set up safely, it's a golden opportunity.
Since I've had some real-life experience in this field, participating in an event like this isn't entirely unfamiliar.
Just as I was about to respond, Elias leaned in and whispered.
"And if you go out there, you'll draw 500 people in a minute."
"...."
So he was thinking about the audience competition too….
Now that he's in Class 2, he's looking out for them.
I nodded.
"Alright, then."
"Ah~ this'll be fun. I'll enjoy the play~! You were good at acting when you played poker."
While poker and theater aren't exactly the same, it's true they're not entirely unrelated, so I didn't say anything.
Besides, if I'm going to be in the play, I need to start acting now.
"Now I need your help, Eli."
Without hesitation, Elias confidently gave me a thumbs-up.
"Sure, trust me. I'll leave them speechless."
"…Speechless?"
His gesture, as if I needn't worry about explanations, made me uneasy.
And I realized why Elias was so confident the moment we re-entered the waiting room.
With his magic securing his crutch in place, Elias grabbed my shoulder tightly and shouted,
"Hey, everyone. I found our lead actor!"