The world’s first movie presented by the Matrics Troupe ended with success.
The splendid direction and acting of the actors, which can be called the identity of the Matrics Troupe combined with the sound effects and OST by the Rirus Orchestra. The play showcased at the previous exhibition combined all of the above to create a masterpiece, but the movie shown today reached its pinnacle.
What kind of knowledge must be in the mind of Director Scar to present such extraordinary creativity to the audience, rivaling that of the Earth? Especially, the recollection shown in the final part leaves no doubt about Scar’s genius. While a common cliché from my past life, there’s nothing like that here.
Even with experience as a theater director, this is Scar’s first attempt at filmmaking. Furthermore, it clearly demonstrates the differences between theater and film. For Helium, Scar is an indispensable talent and artist who can never be given up on.
Judging by the support he receives, one can roughly estimate how exceptional his abilities and potential are.
In any case, the world’s first movie concluded successfully, and lastly, just like at the previous exhibition, both actors and directors appeared on stage. And one could notice something amazing: the actor who played Elisha was actually an elf. It wasn’t makeup or magic.
Even more astonishing was the revelation that the actor who played Kair was actually in a relationship with Elisha. They explained that his old appearance was transformed through magic.
‘They really put in the effort.’
The scale of Matrics Troupe has grown several times larger than the previous exhibition. While the fact that the director is a demon was shocking, it didn’t hold much significance. Rather, there has been a significant increase in those who aspire to be actors and enter Matrics Troupe. It has expanded the scope of art.
Above all, Skar is also keeping a close eye on the exhibition. Everyone may know, but at the exhibition, not only Matrics Troupe’s one but also other plays are presented.
While not boasting the insane energy of The Matrics Troupe, some plays are quite excellent. Plays, by their nature, highlight the acting skills of the actors, so for The Matrics Troupe, it’s a kind of litmus test.
“Is there anyone who wants to ask a question? There’s still time, so I’ll take questions.”
After a lengthy explanation, Director Scar’s question time followed. At the same time, many people on the first floor raised their hands.
Perhaps the nobles didn’t raise their hands to maintain their dignity; there were few who did. Of course, I was among those few.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})As I raised my hand, I could feel various gazes pouring in around me. From the imperial nobles to the royalty of the Ters Kingdom.
Forget about the nobility for now. Resolving my curiosity is the priority.
“Um… the gentleman with the red hair over there? Please ask your question. We’ll amplify your voice with magic, so just speak as you normally would.”
I’ve disliked my noticeable red hair so far, but today, I was glad for it. As Scar extended his hand, I relaxed my throat and opened my mouth.
“Aah. Ah.”
As if using magic, my voice became louder as the microphone echoed. I marveled at the boundlessness of magic for a moment before speaking again.
Firstly, I praised Scar and the troupe with various compliments, saying it was truly a great movie, with directing reminiscent of The Matrics Troupe, etc. I uplifted the mood of Scar and the troupe with my diverse praises.
And finally, I threw out the question I truly wanted to ask.
“So, about that, could you tell me when the next installment will be released? Of course, I understand that it takes a long time to produce. But I can’t help but anticipate it because it’s such a fantastic movie.”
“The next installment… By the way, could you tell me what exactly the gentleman meant by the ‘movie’ you mentioned?”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it, he referred to it as an extension of the play, not a movie. I inadvertently called it a movie too.
It’s hard to just brush it off as a slip of the tongue. Especially since I casually referred to it as a movie earlier.
Before correcting myself, I glanced sideways with a sense of unease. And there it was.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Cecily, with a meaningful smile, was looking straight at me. Upon seeing that smile, I felt a chill and immediately looked ahead.
“Haha… I think I just had a momentary lapse of thought. I apologize.”
“No, it’s fine. ‘Movie’… it has a nice ring to it. Anyway, I’ll answer your question. After Kair’s death, it leads into Xenon’s confession, and further, it goes into the full-fledged invasion of the devils. But to resolve all of this requires not just manpower but also refining. Above all, the devil invasion is not a battle but a war.”
As Skar explained, after Kair’s death, the devil invasion follows. It’s on a scale that can be called a war, not just a battle, making it impossible to film in a short period.
Actors, direction, know-how, and so on. It may be a successful first leap, but everything is in a state without any experience.
Skar’s explanation was that it would be better not to do it at all rather than bring about a failure that would tarnish the Xenon’s Biography, after having just taken a first successful step.
“It’s not like we’re not doing it at all. It’s embarrassing to say this to you all, but this play is essentially a test. You could say it’s a kind of prototype. If Xenon allows it, we plan to produce it slowly from volume one.”
Shut up and take the letter with my permission. As soon as I heard his words, I looked at Cecily.
She seemed to ask why I was looking at her, and she shrugged her shoulders casually, still smiling ambiguously. After savoring her reaction, I subtly grabbed her hand and nodded my head, implying ‘please take care.’
The reason why the Matrics Theater can produce movies is because of Helium’s endless support. No matter how much it’s called the Matrix Theater, without money, nothing can be done.
Cecily laughed at my pathetic(?) request and put her lips to my ear. Then, with a voice full of color, she mentioned one word.
“Seed.”
“··· ···”
With that single word, I instantly understood what she wanted. Therefore, I had to deeply consider it. Even though she might usually joke about it, Cecily was sincere this time. However, I had no intention of hurting Marie’s feelings because of my personal desires.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})I just have to endure a little. When I smirked meaningfully as if to say it was impossible, Cecily shrugged her shoulders as if she had expected it.
In fact, the temptation to want the seed is highly likely to be a joke. Usually, I’m the type to grant all my requests.
After my question, various questions about Scar poured in. They ranged from how the battle scenes were created to whether there had been direct encounters with Xenon, to how actors were cast, and so on.
What intrigued me the most was the casting of actors, especially for other races. While it might be understandable for humans or demons, the question of how they would cast actors for other races was of utmost interest.
Scar seemed to be somewhat hesitant, scratching his head and taking a somewhat ambiguous stance on this issue.
“Well, to be honest, I personally handled the casting of Elisha’s actor. Moreover, currently, Alvenheim is actively engaging with the surrounding regions through Queen Arwen’s policies. We’d like to cast them if possible, but… perhaps Alvenheim might produce its own play separately.”
It was a highly credible story. Who is the current director of the Matrics Troupe? A demon who receives abundant support from Helium.
From Alvenheim’s perspective, they might take the stance that if even demons are producing plays, why can’t we! Scar might be feeling awkward because he knows that.
However, what should be kept in mind is that the race doesn’t matter. What matters is solely the director’s ability itself.
Whether it’s a demon or an elf, if there’s a director as competent as Scar, a masterpiece will be born, and conversely, if not, it will be a flop.
‘I hope Arwen will behave well…’
I shifted my gaze to where Arwen was sitting. She was seated a little apart. It was probably to avoid suspicions of being too close privately. If it were revealed that Arwen and I were close in private, suspicions about Xenon would naturally arise. So, she was currently seated next to her bodyguard, Kayr.
It seems like they were exchanging brief opinions. I believed that Arwer, as a very wise queen, would take measures to prevent any strange incidents from occurring.
“As for me, I was the director of the Matrics Troupe, Scar. Sincerely thank you to all of you who watched over our stage, and I hope you enjoy the remainder of the exhibition. Thank you!”
After numerous rounds of questioning, the greetings from Matrics Troupe continued. Both I and the people in the audience responded enthusiastically with applause.
I should write a letter tonight and give them permission. I hope the movie about the invasion of Alvenheim, or rather, the devil invasion of Elvenheim, happens soon, but that’ll take a while. For now, it’s important to gradually adapt each volume into a movie and gain experience.
“That was such an amazing play, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. Do you think we can see it again tomorrow?”
“You think others besides you would think that? Even so, since it’s going to be here for a few more days, we might be able to see it again at least once.”
After the movie ended, we returned to the mansion with our group. Even as we left, most people remained in their seats, still immersed in the afterglow.
Not only the plot of the movie, but the recollection technique shown at the end must have lingered in people’s minds. Even I, a human from Earth, was still thinking about it, so how much more so for the people here.
With various opinions about the movie, we made our way back to the mansion. I plan to make sure my parents watch it when we get there.
“Did Adelia enjoy it too?”
“Yeah… ah. Yes. It was really enjoyable.”
Adelia, who suddenly changed from casual speech to formal speech without even realizing it herself. Her startled expression was quite adorable, but it felt rather stiff.
“You can speak comfortably. It’s just us here.”
“Yeah. It feels a bit awkward when you do that, though.”
Nicole, who was walking alongside her, displayed intimacy by placing her hand on Adelia’s shoulder. Adelia speaking formally to Nicole would have been quite awkward too.
“No, it’s fine. For now… because I’m still on duty.”
“Well, if that’s how you feel. But you’ll go back to informal speech after work, right?”
“Yes.”
Adelia was my exclusive maid, and normally her working hours end after dinner. But for events like today, there’s indefinite overtime.
By the way, exclusive maids also receive additional overtime pay. I’m not sure if it’s considered overtime or what, but anyway, the longer the hours, the more money they make.
Maybe her monthly salary would amount to roughly 80 gold. In Korean won, it’s about 8 million, and it’s said to be close to 100 million annually.
Expensive? That’s absurd. Adelia is a top talent who even serves as a martial arts instructor at the academy. This salary is actually on the cheaper side.
“Dave, how much is your salary right now?”
“Me? Well, the base is roughly 100 gold, but with all the bonuses included, it easily exceeds 150.”
“And how about you, Nicole?”
“I’m still an apprentice, so it’s 70 gold. But practically, it’s over 100 gold.”
When comparing the salaries of my older brother and sister who joined the Navy Knights, it’s clear how much cheaper it is. Adelia is a talented individual with skills equal to Nicole’s.
Moreover, through my father’s training, her skills are improving day by day, so her value will naturally increase.
I’m willingly accepting the loss just to keep her by my side. As I thought about it, I looked at Adelia’s face.
When Adelia and I made eye contact, she blushed and silently lowered her head. She radiates her own charm with a combination of dignity and cuteness.
So, we arrived at the mansion, chatting amicably. Dave and Nicole were the first to return to their rooms to get rid of their uncomfortable uniforms.
At that moment, I was about to return to my room to unwind.
“Adelia noona. You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?”
“Huh?”
Marie called Adelia, mentioning the ‘promise’. Looking at Adelia, her face seemed to be turning red in an instant.
“I guess I have to help with this. Isaac and Marie go in first.”
Not only Marie but also Cecily. She winked and flashed her mischievous smile, clasping her hands together.
Clearly, they are all deeply involved. Come to think of it, I know they left the room earlier in the morning to have a private conversation.
“··· ···”
On the other hand, Adelia remained silent, only mumbling with her lips. It was a forced reaction, trying to hide her embarrassment while glancing at me.
Meanwhile, Cecily dragged Adelia’s arm and disappeared somewhere. Her face was filled with a smile as if she found it amusing.
With Adelia and Cecily gone, only Marie and I remained. I looked at Marie with a puzzled expression.
Marie sighed as she looked at my face and muttered.
“Sigh. Really… where else in the world can you find a good-natured and kind-hearted lady like me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Never mind. You should go wash up and wait in the bedroom. I have something to do separately for a moment.”
“Um… okay.”
There were several suspicious circumstances, but for now, I let them slide. After all, the night was long.
And that night…
“Good evening, Young Master. Has today been a pleasant day for you?”
“…Noona?”
Completely unexpected.
“You must have had a tiring and difficult day again. It’s the duty of a devoted maid to relieve that fatigue.”
In a truly peculiar form.
“Oh, tonight, I’ll personally… p-p-provide you with… night-time… services…”
“…”
“I’ll… I’ll make arrangements.”
She approached me.
Translators note:
