Ch.265Soft Power (2)

The highlight of the exhibition, the performance, begins precisely at 8 PM. While the previous exhibition had only a hastily assembled stage outdoors, now a proper building stands neatly constructed.

And as expected, thanks to the full support from the Empire of Minerva, the scale is quite substantial. According to my father, it can accommodate up to 10,000 people.

I wondered if it would be possible to properly view the performance, but judging from some performances in my previous life, it’s not entirely impossible. I even heard that binoculars are provided for those with poor eyesight or seated in the back rows.

I mean the kind of binoculars that are easy to carry in one’s hand. Occasionally, you can see people watching performances while holding binoculars in one hand—that’s exactly what I’m referring to.

Even in my previous life, these were quite expensive, so how much more so in this world where scientific technology is less developed? Fortunately, glasses and lenses have been developed and exist; otherwise, it would have been a headache.

But the exorbitant price is unavoidable. Even those lenses must be crafted by hand without the aid of machines, so even portable binoculars come with a price that makes one tremble.

The Empire of Minerva provides such binoculars for free. I suppose that’s fitting for a country where money overflows—they fill every gap with money.

Of course, since they’re expensive, they’ve placed one at each seat and activated magical locks to prevent theft. The magic was implemented with the help of demons.

If someone tries to extract the lenses or take the binoculars out, an alarm will sound, so there’s no worry about theft.

All that remains is to watch the performance that so many people have prepared. I was told that commoners watch from the first floor, while nobles view from the second floor.

And my family, including myself, and acquaintances will be seated in the second-floor front row, which is ideal for viewing the performance. The rest of the VIPs will find their own seats.

‘How impressive will it be?’

Cecilly was so confident, so I wonder how spectacular the performance will be. Since it’s a collaboration between the Matrix Troupe and the Lirus Orchestra like the previous exhibition, I’m looking forward to it.

Moreover, the more I hear her explanations, the more I’m reminded of the culture from my previous life. It was one of humanity’s most popular cultural forms across worlds.

If explosions and various special effects are handled with magic, and recording is also replaced with magic, production isn’t impossible.

In particular, the Matrix Troupe has numerous precedents of performances comparable to movies, despite the limited environment of a stage. That’s why I can’t help but look forward to it.

If what I’m anticipating is correct, the situation might be reversed. It might not be them wanting the Biography of Xenon, but me wanting them.

Still, it shouldn’t be compared to my previous life. In my previous life, decades of accumulated know-how enabled the creation of various masterpieces, but this is their first attempt, even with Helium’s full support.

It would be truly cruel to compare the culture of Earth at its peak with the culture of this world that’s just beginning to bloom.

So let’s watch the performance with an appreciative mindset. For now, guiding Cecilly and Arwen was the priority.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to tonight’s performance.”

“It will probably be a performance you’ll never forget in your lifetime.”

At 6 PM, as the sun was beginning to slip below the horizon, Arwen parted ways to have dinner.

I suggested having dinner together at the mansion, but she shook her head and politely declined, saying that if she came, it would surely create an awkward situation.

I wanted to ask how there could be any awkwardness when we’d already become familiar with each other and even defeated the Senate, but Arwen’s attitude was so firm that I had no choice but to back down.

When I headed to the mansion to have dinner, I encountered unexpected faces.

“Issac!”

“Huh?”

My siblings, Dave and Nicole, dressed neatly in Navy Knight uniforms, had arrived. It seems they came on leave.

As soon as I saw them, I approached with a bright smile. Both of them not only have good looks but also toned bodies, so they really pull off the uniforms well.

“When did you arrive?”

“About two hours ago. Have you been well? Our youngest has grown so much since I last saw him.”

Dave gave me a refreshing smile and patted my head approvingly. Unlike Nicole, the last time I met him was at the previous exhibition.

Having grown tremendously in the past year, I must have surprised Dave. I happily received my older brother’s affectionate gesture with a bright expression.

Although Lilly is here now, I’ve been showered with the love reserved for the youngest child.

Dave, like Nicole, has cherished me since I was very young, so the bond between us siblings is quite strong.

As for the relationship between Dave and Nicole… let’s skip that. They’re just like real siblings.

“I’ve been well. And the youngest isn’t me, it’s Lilly.”

“Ah, right. That’s true.”

“Did you both come together?”

“Yes. Even though it’s only been a year, so much has changed. For a moment, I wondered if this was really our territory.”

I caught up on sibling conversations we hadn’t been able to have. Nicole also looks healthy, with the arm that was injured now completely healed.

Especially Nicole, who kept glancing back while talking to me. It seems she’s making eye contact with Adelia.

When I looked back, I saw Adelia standing with her hands behind her back, smiling brightly. She too is fully expressing her joy at meeting her close friend.

Come to think of it, Nicole must be an invaluable treasure to Adelia. She brought light to her lonely life and even helped her connect with the man she admires.

“By the way, Issac, what kind of gift did you receive from the demons to… Ack!!”

In the middle, Dave was about to say something inappropriate, but Nicole managed to stop him just in time. She deliberately stepped on Dave’s foot hard, pretending it was an accident.

Naturally, Dave glared at Nicole with a look that said, “What are you doing?” From Dave’s perspective, who knows nothing, he must be not just angry but bewildered.

In response, Nicole cleared her throat without saying anything, then turned to me and casually spoke.

“Let’s catch up later. Dinner preparations have just been completed.”

“Um… okay.”

“Hey, can you tell me why you stepped on my foot first?”

“Don’t be so tactless. When will you ever develop some awareness?”

“Look at you changing the subject again. You’re as strong as an orc.”

“Want to die?”

Well, as always, they’re such harmonious siblings. I left their quarrel behind and headed to where dinner was prepared with the group.

While Marie and Cecilly could sit at the table for dinner, Adelia, being a dedicated maid, had to eat separately.

This was an issue I couldn’t resolve due to the nature of her job, so I had to let her go. Adelia left temporarily to have dinner without any particular complaint.

Normally, she would have to stand behind me even during meals, but whether it was my father’s instruction or not, we had dinner just as a family. This included Marie and Cecilly.

“So, are there any problems at the border these days?”

“Nothing significant. Elf patrols have been less active recently, and although we catch some barbarians, it’s not a major issue.”

“While the reduced elf patrol activity might be due to increased exchanges with Alfheim, it’s better to be wary of the barbarians. Anything else?”

“Nothing else in particular.”

Dave and Nicole’s recent situation was very peaceful without anything special. Although there was some grumbling typical of soldiers, it was nothing my father couldn’t easily overlook.

However, from a parent’s perspective, there are a few concerns. Among them, the most representative is romantic relationships.

Parents always want their children to find partners, regardless of their profession. This is a universal sentiment.

Although Dave and Nicole have followed in my father’s footsteps and devoted themselves to the military, marriage is essentially mandatory. This is inevitable given the era.

Moreover, women don’t have to worry about career interruptions. In units like the Navy Knights, where each individual is important, they provide full support for quick returns.

This system is feasible thanks to the Empire of Minerva’s powerful economy.

“It’s good to work hard, but finding a partner is also important. Do you have anyone you like?”

“Um…”

“Well…”

At my mother’s gentle question, Dave and Nicole simultaneously rolled their eyes.

It’s impressive to see their golden eyes, identical to my father’s, rolling around. Apparently, neither of them has any particular interest.

Eventually, the siblings looked at my mother and answered simultaneously.

“”Not really.””

“… …”

This was followed by a long lecture session. No matter how uninterested they might be, they should have children, we should be seeing grandchildren at our age, and so on.

“Look at Issac. He already has two wives. But you two don’t even have one, which really worries me.”

“Isn’t our youngest just unusual? How can anyone compete with Xenon?”

“Mom, that’s because Issac is a rogue. It would be stranger if he couldn’t attract women with that face.”

“… …”

I knew my story would come up, but not like this. I silently focused on my meal, letting their words go in one ear and out the other.

‘I wish we could just watch the performance soon.’

Even amidst this, the conversation didn’t stop. Instead, Marie and Cecilly, who were sitting on either side of me, joined in.

“Issac is a special case. But you know what’s interesting? Both I and Adelia fell for Issac before knowing he was Xenon. Adelia still doesn’t even know Issac is Xenon.”

“And Leona said she liked him as a male because of feline culture, right?”

“Wow… our youngest, no, third child has quite the skill. Can you tell your older brother how you seduced them?”

“What skill? He’s just a rogue. With that face, is there any woman he couldn’t seduce?”

“… …”

Save me.

*****

After the warm and harmonious(?) dinner ended, we headed straight to the performance hall where a splendid stage awaited.

Originally, the whole family was supposed to go together, but my father stayed behind due to remaining paperwork, and my mother couldn’t leave Lilly, so she remained as well.

I was truly disappointed that they would miss this once-a-year performance, but thanks to Cecilly’s subsequent words, I could feel somewhat relieved.

“Don’t worry. The performance isn’t just for one day; it will continue for several days.”

“For several days?”

“Yes. The motto of the Xenon Exhibition is culture that everyone can enjoy. It wouldn’t be right if some people couldn’t enjoy it.”

It seems they can show it anytime since it’s recorded on video. I thanked her and headed to the performance hall with a lighter heart.

Unlike a year ago when they hastily set up an outdoor venue, the performance hall now stands as a meticulously constructed building.

A structure that fully embodies the Empire of Minerva’s determination not to fall behind the Kingdom of Teres.

How many craftsmen must have poured their sweat into building this structure? It’s hard to even estimate when looking at its majestic appearance.

It clearly conveys the impression that the Empire of Minerva is serious about this. How hungry for culture must they be to have built such a building?

Murmur- Murmur- Murmur-

As I entered the building, I could already hear the murmuring of people. Although there was a separate path for nobles, the sound reached here due to the sheer number of people.

The performance hall can accommodate about 10,000 people. However, I understand that the number of people who attended the exhibition was much higher.

I heard that even the newly built inns were at full capacity, causing headaches. The number of commoners reading the Biography of Xenon overwhelmingly exceeds that of nobles, so it’s unavoidable.

Still, as Cecilly said, since the performance will be held for three days, there’s no problem. The performance is both the highlight and the alpha and omega of the Xenon Exhibition.

It’s essentially the same as the exhibition continuing for several days. Cramming everything into one day would indeed be tight on time.

In this world, assuming teleportation isn’t used, it can take days or even more than a month to travel between countries.

In that sense, having the exhibition continue for several days gives many people an opportunity, which might be good.

‘Father will have a lot of work to do.’

While thinking about the growing scale of the exhibition, I searched for my seat. Whether magic was used or not, the enclosed building was very bright.

Thanks to this, finding my seat wasn’t difficult, and as soon as I arrived, I could see familiar faces.

‘As expected, they arrived early.’

The imperial family of the Empire of Minerva and the royal family of the Kingdom of Teres. Like me, they were seated in the second-floor front row, chatting among themselves.

Among them, I made eye contact with Leort, but I only gave him a slight nod. Leort also greeted me briefly before returning to his conversation.

“Is this the binoculars?”

“Yes. Try using it.”

While I was passing time using the binoculars placed at each seat.

Swoosh-

It seems the performance is about to begin. The light that had been illuminating the interior of the building gradually faded, and darkness descended.

As darkness settled, the murmuring grew louder.

‘Come to think of it, how did they illuminate the building without lighting candles?’

Was this also replaced with magic? I can’t even estimate how much budget was invested in just one building.

Eventually, as the commotion of the crowd, who noticed the performance was about to begin, gradually subsided, and when complete silence settled.

[Just once…]

Suddenly, a deep middle-aged man’s voice filled the building, and simultaneously.

[If I could see her smile just once…]

Flash!

An image, no.

[Elisha…]

A “movie” began playing, filling the view in front.