Guests

Miss Galolie lifted her skirt and stepped onto the stairs of the White Thorn Flower Theater. She noticed a massive backdrop wall beside the theater entrance.

They had moved the backdrop wall outside? Were they planning an open-air performance?

Miss Galolie knew that some troupes in small cities performed this way, but those were all third-rate troupes. Compared to calling them troupes, calling them circuses would be more fitting.

Yet Miss Galolie saw no stage nearby, only a lone backdrop wall standing there. When she entered the theater, she found that the White Thorn Flower Theater was not as deserted as Professor Salinya had described.

At the very least, more than a dozen people were lined up before the ticket counter. Quite a few were noble ladies dressed as grandly as she was. A slightly plump man wearing light makeup was enthusiastically introducing something to the noble ladies in line.

"Miss Galolie, this really isn't any interesting place."

Professor Salinya entered the theater as well. When he had visited this theater a few days ago, the lobby had been completely empty. Even with several noble ladies specially invited today, it was still far from the long ticket lines at the Nolan National Theater.

White Thorn Flower Jazz immediately noticed the two... guests who had stepped into the theater. No, one was a damned merchant, while the other was the star of the Black Swan Troupe?!

"Ladies, I'll need to excuse myself for a moment."

White Thorn Flower Jazz temporarily slipped free of the noble ladies surrounding him and hurried over to Miss Galolie.

"I never expected Miss Galolie herself to pay us a visit."

White Thorn Flower Jazz gave this Flower of Falosi a slight bow. He did not care how many titles the young lady before him held. What White Thorn Flower Jazz truly admired was her talent. As an actress, this black swan of the Black Swan Troupe was simply outstanding—so outstanding that White Thorn Flower Jazz had forgotten the merchant beside her reeking of copper coins!

"Jazz, an old friend has come specially to visit you, yet you won't even greet him. Isn't that a little too heartless?"

Professor Salinya stepped in front of Miss Galolie. In Nolan, some people spent thousands, even tens of thousands, of gold coins just to see her once.

"Friend? I don't know any vile merchants like you! Leave my theater! The stench coming off you makes me feel like I'm suffocating!"

By now, White Thorn Flower Jazz had completely cast aside a scholar's restraint. If he was going to curse someone out, he had to do it properly. The man before him had taken half the White Thorn Flower Theater's assets. The fact that White Thorn Flower Jazz had not rolled up his sleeves and fought him already counted as politeness.

"I only want to help you, Jazz. Seeing as you're nearly out of money even to maintain this theater, why not transfer it to me? I'll restore this theater to its former glory."

Professor Salinya still maintained the poise he ought to have, after all, Miss Galolie was watching behind him.

"Former glory? The glory of the White Thorn Flower Theater began yesterday! I don't need your help. Starting tomorrow, everyone in Nolan will remember once again that there is only one theater in this city!"

If White Thorn Flower Jazz had lacked confidence when Professor Salinya had previously come to poach from him, things were completely different now. With Joshua's help, even if the Nolan National Theater had the Black Swan Troupe, he still dared to openly trade barbs with the Nolan National Theater.

White Thorn Flower Jazz believed that Belle's charm was absolutely no less than this black swan's! In the future, Belle's actress would surely earn a title like Flower of Nolan as well.

"That's right, White Thorn Flower Jazz. I believe the name of that theater is the Nolan National Theater."

Professor Salinya was becoming somewhat unable to bear White Thorn Flower Jazz's aggressive manner.

Just as White Thorn Flower Jazz was preparing to have someone throw this hateful merchant out, he suddenly saw two familiar figures appear at the theater entrance. His anger instantly vanished.

Joshua had not expected the "mage construction crew" White Thorn Flower Jazz had hired to work so efficiently. The backdrop wall, which was expected to be finished tomorrow, had been declared provisionally complete that very evening.

So, returning from Ma Linna's shop, Joshua had stopped by to see whether the backdrop wall was suitable. But before he had time to "put up" the poster on it, the sounds of arguing from inside the theater made him temporarily set aside his work.

Joshua had not caught much of the earlier part of their argument, but he had seen every bit of White Thorn Flower Jazz's attempt to drive someone out.

If something like throwing out guests got around—and was even twisted a little—it would clearly harm the theater's reputation.

Besides, even competitors did not need to be driven away. Anyone who stepped into this theater might contribute to the box office of "Beauty and the Demon." Joshua had no reason to let those two sets of moving ticket sales slip through his fingers.

"Just standing here won't solve anything."

Joshua took Ciri directly into the theater's front lobby and quite unceremoniously inserted himself into the conversation between White Thorn Flower Jazz and the "filthy merchant," as he called him.

"How about the two of you watch the White Thorn Flower Theater's newest production before reaching a conclusion?"

"Has a troupe finally agreed to take up residence in this shabby theater?"

Hearing Joshua's words, Professor Salinya immediately guessed that Joshua might be an actor from that troupe.

"Well... I'm sorry to say that no troupe has taken up residence in the White Thorn Flower Theater for now, nor is one needed. But the production currently being shown will certainly satisfy you."

Runes gleamed across the surface of the Source Crystal Stone in Joshua's hand. The image stored within the Source Crystal Stone was projected onto a stone pillar inside the theater, where a white backdrop wall hung.

Beyond the posters outside a cinema used to draw in customers, a cinema naturally also needed a poster inside promoting the film currently showing.

The poster for "Beauty and the Demon" was projected onto the backdrop wall. The scene of Belle and the Demon, dressed in formal attire and dancing gracefully through the castle hall, was instantly frozen upon the poster.

Many of the noble ladies in the lobby who had already watched "Beauty and the Demon" let out cheers like screams when they saw that scene. This frozen moment undoubtedly awakened the emotion and romance they had felt the first time they watched the film.

Professor Salinya's gaze, along with Miss Galolie's behind him, was also drawn to the poster.

"This..."

Rather than marveling at the image projected by the Source Crystal Stone, Professor Salinya's attention was fixed upon "Belle." The instant he saw the young lady dancing gracefully in the Demon's arms, he actually felt his heart stir.

When Professor Salinya had first met this Flower of Falosi, he had only marveled at what a charming girl she was. That had merely been a man's admiration, but the feeling he experienced in this instant was entirely different.

Just as Professor Salinya was about to ask Joshua who that actress was, Joshua made a shushing gesture.

"No amount of explanation is as useful as seeing it with your own eyes. Two tickets can answer every question you have," Joshua said.

Faced with Joshua's almost provocative words, Professor Salinya was already tempted to simply fling his sleeve and leave. Boosting the performance of his rival's theater? Impossible!

This was a personal principle Professor Salinya had decided upon long ago. Even if he died, even if he jumped from a building, he would never watch a performance at the White Thorn Flower Theater even once.

That would be a foolish thing to do! No matter how beautiful the girl on the poster was, he would not do something so stupid!

But... but...

"Give me one."

Miss Galolie, who had remained silent at the back the whole time, suddenly stepped forward and spoke to Joshua.

"Miss Galolie... sigh... Give me two! I'll cover Miss Galolie's ticket as well."

Professor Salinya gritted his teeth. In the end, citing concern for Galolie's safety, he still took out twenty gold coins to buy two VIP Seats tickets—tickets that were far cheaper than those at his own theater.

"Thank you for your patronage. This way, please."

Now that they had paid, they were customers. Joshua waved a hand, and an attendant led the two honored guests toward the screening hall.

Then Joshua handed the twenty gold coins to White Thorn Flower Jazz.

"Unless they're here to deliberately cause trouble, don't throw out any customer."

"Understood, my lord."

White Thorn Flower Jazz was overjoyed. Seeing Professor Salinya's dark and uncertain expression made him especially pleased.

"Also, report this film's daily box office to me—the daily earnings, how many tickets were sold, the total income. Put together some statistics... I believe White Thorn Flower Jazz, you're more than capable of handling that."

"No problem. I'll do it personally."

White Thorn Flower Jazz understood there were several layers of meaning in Joshua's words about being capable. He intended to cooperate with Joshua for a long time to come, and he would not be foolish enough to ruin his own reputation over that damned money.

Just after assigning the tasks, Joshua suddenly felt someone staring at him. He raised his head toward the entrance of the screening hall and found it was Galolie's gaze. But the next second, a hand appeared in front of his eyes and waved a few times to make its presence known.

"What is it?"

Joshua withdrew his gaze and looked at Ciri beside him.

"Nothing. Swatting mosquitoes," Ciri said.