Inside the castle in the Red Tide Fief, Louis crouched among a group of children, smiling as he patiently coached them.
Rehearsals for the Spring Opening Festival had entered the final stretch.
And he had written this play himself: "The Great Lord Louis Uses His Cunning to Crush the Evil Snow Oath's Plot."
"Come on, Karl! Put more force into your next move. You're the star of this play, the protector of the Red Tide Fief!"
"Yes!" The little boy lifted his chin and puffed out his chest, doing his best to look imposing.
His cheeks were red from the cold, but his earnestness was simply adorable.
Nearby, several children assigned to play the "evil Snow Oath" hung their heads and complained quietly, "Aw... I'm not bad."
Louis smiled and patted their heads. "Villains are important. Without you, how could the hero look so impressive?"
Farther off, the more ordinary-looking children stood in rows, rehearsing their roles as "flowers, grass, trees, and wood."
Playing the swaying scenery around the granary, they waved their homemade oversized leaves and had just as much fun.
"Remember, when we get to the explosion, everyone has to fall backward together and pretend the blast knocked you away. Got it?" Louis demonstrated with his hands.
One child excitedly raised a hand. "Lord Louis, can we shout 'Aah!' too?"
"Of course! The louder, the better!"
Watching from beside him, Sif could not help laughing. "You really are putting your heart into this."
The script was simple and blunt: the Snow Oath sneaked into the granary late at night, only for the wise, mighty, and endlessly resourceful Louis to detonate Fire Demon Explosive Bombs in a fake granary, wiping out the enemy in one stroke as the people cheered, "Long live Louis!"...
It was plainly a simplified version