Although Annan had sent Little Smo, he had no intention of giving the Art Capital the same ending as the Broken Mountains.
He only wanted to teach the Hall of Arts a lesson: Don't think I can't touch you just because you're far away.
Of course, it would also be fair to say Annan held a grudge and was taking the chance to cause the Orr Empire some trouble.
"Everyone's Singer" continued steadily. The occasional incident—contestants fighting audience members, contestants eating audience members, and the like—didn't disrupt it. The arguments in the newspapers only drew more attention.
By comparison, the "Singer Competition" was having a much harder time. Only people in the Orr Empire paid it much attention.
After all, the Art Capital had nothing like Commercial Street to spread the word. People could learn about the competition only from The Art Gazette, putting it at a disadvantage from the start.
Meanwhile, Little Smo brought the parents who had lost their children to demand answers.
They crowded around the Theater entrance, holding up Wooden Signs that read "Give Us Back Our Children," "Hand Over the Murderer," and "You Are a Disgrace to the Art Capital" as they protested loudly.
The Theater Owner came out with his clothes in disarray. At the sight of the protesters and the onlookers outside, his scalp prickled.
"Why haven't you driven these people away? Guards! Guards—"
Then he saw the Guard Captain standing with the crowd, walking toward him.
"Get these people out of here!"
"No. There are reporters from the Newspaper Office over there." The Guard Captain was no fool. He glanced at the reporters standing beyond the protesters, holding Magic Stones. "I've already sent for Sir Tarkinson. Find a way to calm them down first."
The Theater Owner's eyes widened. "You want me