Chapter 362
"Finally, it's my turn!!""Yeah, that's right.""I thought it would be a bit lacking in originality if I was always the one being invited. So I've come to invite you. Liberta, would you like to go out?"
The last person, Lady Esmeralda, knocked on the door of my room just as I finished getting ready, and appeared fully prepared when I opened it.
She wasn't wearing her usual combat gear, but a simplified version of a noblewoman's dress.Dressed in attire suitable for walking, she had come to me of her own accord, having observed my actions over the past four days.
"So, you have something you want to do?"
Her overflowing vitality made me think she had something specific in mind.
"Not at all!! I was only thinking about being with you, Liberta!!""That's honest of you.""I vowed not to hide my feelings when expressing them to you."
Completely unplanned.The way she was charging ahead full speed, her actions outpacing her plans, was something I'd vaguely sensed from her initial high energy.
"Understood."
For a moment, I had the illusion of dog ears sprouting from her head and a tail wagging wildly behind her, but I chose to ignore it and proceed.
A date with the noble-born Lady Esmeralda might call for something special, but in this world, "special" things likely feel commonplace to her, given her noble privileges.
Therefore, I think something that satisfies curiosity and feels fresh would be better.
Also, one thing to be careful of is—
"Hmm?"
—making sure not to forget this is a "date" with her, who is looking forward to whatever I have planned.
I learned a lot from my talk with Claudia yesterday, including that she's the mastermind behind the harem plan, but I won't pursue that topic today.In fact, pointing it out to her while she's looking at me with such sparkling eyes would probably make her deflate; I can already picture the dog ears from my illusion drooping and her looking at me with sad eyes. So, it's better to say I *can't* bring it up.
"Anyway, shall we go outside?""Yes!"
A glance at her feet confirmed she was wearing heels, shoes unsuitable for long walks, and her dress attire confirmed it.That ruled out anything involving physical activity, and anything that might get her dirty.
In Japan, options like going to the movies, a drive, or shopping at a mall would appear, but none of those are possible in this world as it is.
So, if I had to think of something I *could* do... well, I did make some preparations.
After everyone's dates and before bed, I'd been thinking about date plans possible in this world.The only one I'd actually implemented so far was Amina's hair & makeup makeover.
So, escorting Lady Esmeralda would be my second attempt.
"Where are we going?""To an entertainment facility under construction."
Our destination was a building under construction within the village.
This village sorely lacks entertainment.
"An entertainment facility... is it a theater troupe?""Even if there's a stage, we have no troupe members~""It sounds like it would be fun if everyone participated. I think you could act too, Liberta.""I don't have much experience in that area, honestly."
A lack of entertainment means fewer outlets for stress.The brothel is part of that, but we need to be very careful about opening one, and we haven't started on that yet.
"'Not much' implies you *have* some experience.""I do, yes. But it's only at the level of party tricks."
Besides, women can't enjoy a brothel.We need entertainment facilities that everyone, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy.
I don't know how it is in other towns or countries.But in the town I'm building, I'll create facilities everyone can enjoy.
Fortunately, in FBO, many players built theme parks and other entertainment facilities.There was even one guy who meticulously recreated a certain dream kingdom and got his account frozen...
Realistically, we can't build an original theme park right now.But we can build facilities where people can genuinely have fun.
"Is this the building?"
I've been leading the construction of this facility, and even Nell and the others don't know the details.
Only the construction workers involved and Mr. Zinc know.To preserve the surprise, I've been working on it bit by bit.
Since it's a makeshift building, there's almost no decoration. But to prevent spoilers, I've ensured it has proper soundproofing.
"It's a stage.""Yes, that's right."
What was prepared there was a small stage.
A tiny theater, with a capacity of maybe twenty people at most given the building size.
I'll keep it a secret that when Lady Esmeralda mentioned "play" earlier, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.Her intuition was so sharp I almost let out a wry smile.
"Lady Esmeralda, your hand.""Yes."
The only people in this theater are me and her.There are no troupe members, no theater director to explain the stage.
Guiding her by the hand to the seat with the best view in this empty theater, I confirm she's seated, but instead of sitting next to her, I walk towards the stage.
Standing on the stage, I straighten my back and put on a smile.
"Come one, come all! Thank you so much for gracing the very first stage in this pioneer village!!"
Here, I discard all sense of shame in one go.Puffing out my chest, raising my voice, I work to hype up this preview show.
"This evening, we present a single act from a stage play performed by marvelous golems! Please enjoy it to your heart's content!!"
Then, performing a formal bow—like at the end of a show—I move to the wings of the stage.
Waiting in the wings is a Commander Golem.Originally conceived as a way to entertain the spirits, I thought it could also serve as entertainment for the villagers, so I stationed one here.
Though it's a test unit. A prototype made by Dark-san, it shows some wear but is functional enough.
Stretching my fingers, I pull out the control terminal that doubles as a side table.I also bring the added microphone close to my face. Preparations complete.
Now then, it's been quite a while since I did this with friends back in the day. How much of that sense can I recover?
*'This is a story from long, long ago...'*
A skill I picked up half for fun, half seriously, thinking it'd be nice to have a party trick.The audience is Lady Esmeralda.Then, there's only one story to choose. Selecting one script from those I'd prepared, I began the narration.
There are fairy tales similar to those in our world here as well.But on purpose, I chose an original work my friend and I created together back in my FBO days.
That friend was a master who participated in the summer and winter festivals every year, skilled enough to make a living just from that.This stage play, though conceived partly in jest, was supervised by him with full seriousness.
The content is quite simple.It's a youthful romantic comedy about two childhood friends.
The title is simply, *'Childhood Friends.'*Back then, my friend, who kept up with popular manga and anime, got genuinely furious, exclaiming, "Childhood friends lose way too much!!!" He got all fired up, saying, "I'll make a story where the childhood friend wins!" Hence the simple title.
We practiced this skit as a gag many times, so the general story and lines are etched in my memory.It seemed like it would appeal to women, and some men might enjoy it too.It's safe, you could say, but it should be a fresh story for this world.I recreated the script and prepared the stage props.
Two golems slowly appear on stage. Their design was something Dark-san and the Lightning Sisters put their hearts into.What we call "Three-Head-Sized Golems" have no combat ability, but they are stage golems capable of human-like precise movements and actions.Using a golem unit for the core and slime material for the surface allows free alteration of body shape and facial features.
*'It is the story of a boy and a girl who lived in a certain town.'*
Stabilizing my voice, I weave the tale at a steady pace. My hands are frantically busy, giving detailed instructions to the Commander Golem, continuously controlling the golems on stage.Just giving broad instructions isn't too hard, but detailed acting is genuinely hectic.
Right now, I'm only controlling the two main characters, so there's some leeway. But as more characters appear later, the number to control will increase, and I'll have to differentiate between multiple roles.
Reusing the functions of the Three-Head-Sized Golems, handling costume changes and face changes... my brain is running at full capacity.
I'm really glad I learned the outrageous skill of a "one-man show" back when I was fooling around with friends.
From the wings, I can see the audience seating.Lady Esmeralda's expression as she intently watches the stage is utterly serious.
Whether she'll enjoy it or not depends on the production from here on.
To put it roughly, the story's base is Shakespeare's *'Romeo and Juliet.'*We took the tragic story, made it comical, and improved the pacing by resolving the misunderstandings born from crossed wires that the author was particular about.It's a work where the determination to never allow a bad ending is palpable.
That might detract from the appeal of the original, so it might divide opinions, but for those who prefer happy endings, it's an irresistible story.Just when they seem destined to miss each other, the hero arrives in the nick of time to save the heroine. They rejoice in their reunion, embrace, and as their faces draw near... the story ends.
Being a fan-created work, the performance lasts about 45 minutes.
*'The boy and the girl lived happily ever after.'*
At the peak, I had to control ten golems simultaneously, and I thought my fingers would cramp.
But that effort was rewarded by the applause of a single person.The moment the performance ended with the closing narration, applause echoed.
"It's wonderful!! I've never seen a stage show like this!!""I'm glad you enjoyed it."
It's too small an audience for a standing ovation, but seeing her smile so brightly makes all the hard work worth it.
"Yes! It was truly wonderful!!""Woah!?"
A story never seen before truly captivates people.Overwhelmed, Lady Esmeralda rushed over and hugged me tightly as I descended from the stage. The soft sensation of her enveloped my face.
"The part near the end, where you make us think the two might not be united, was brilliant!! And then they are properly united after that!"
I could feel her excitement.While happy to hear her impressions, I couldn't help but be acutely aware of the soft sensation against my face.
"Ah, I'm sorry. How could I—""No, no, it just shows how much you enjoyed it."
I wonder how long it took for her excitement to subside.Lady Esmeralda, who pulled away with a start, her face was now bright red.
It was a little sad to lose that softness, but we couldn't stay like that forever.
"So, what shall we do next? If we rest a bit, I can perform another act."
Trying to gloss over the awkwardness, I broached the topic of what's next.
"Umm, Liberta.""Yes? What is it?""You and I... we've been together for quite some time now, haven't we?""Yes, we have."
But Lady Esmeralda didn't pick up on that thread. Instead, she seemed to be choosing her words carefully, trying to convey something.
Wondering what it could be, I tilted my head and waited.
"I think we've become close enough that you don't seem to mind me hugging you like this.""Well...""Did you dislike it?!""No, I didn't! I was actually... happy, you could say."
While I hesitated over the difficult-to-answer question, she made a shocked expression, forcing me to affirm hastily. I couldn't grasp what she was aiming for.
"Is that so. You were happy."
Hearing my reply, she smiled bashfully, leaving me even more unsure how to react.
"......Then, we are already 'close friends'!!""Well, I thought we were getting along well before...""Then, please stop using formal language with me! I want you to talk to me in a more casual way, like you do with Nell and Amina!"
So, in the end, that's what she wanted to say.
"That is...""Is it... not allowed?"
She's originally a noble and older in physical age, which is why I used formal language.Perhaps she felt that speech created a sense of distance.
Her wish, voiced with courage.If she looked at me with anxious, teary eyes, most men would raise the white flag.
I am one of those men.
"......Alright, Esmeralda. Is this okay?""Yes! Liberta!""Well, you're not being casual on your end, huh?""I've always spoken this way from the start."
By now, we're close enough that dropping formalities shouldn't be considered rude.Seeing me relax my speech, Esmeralda's face broke into a bright smile.
Today, the distance between us undoubtedly shrank.
"You're right about that. So, what now? As I said, I can do another act if we rest a bit...""I want to try performing on stage too!"
If we're going to do something together, we shouldn't put up walls with our speech.Resolving that in my heart, the rest of the day passed in a cultural festival-like mood, practicing plays together by controlling golems.