Elysean District, Astope Quarter. Several hours later.
Adryan Kenway stood in the middle of the apartment's living room, holding a book with a yellowed cover in his right hand. His arms were crossed, his finger tapping lightly on his bicep as his mind wandered to what was to come.
In a little over an hour, it would be the premiere of Wayne Enterprises' first film, as well as the first animated film this world had seen in epochs.
Judging by the tickets sold, the number of people who were going to see it was decent, almost filling the theater. This, of course, did not include the people who would buy a ticket minutes before the film started.
Honestly, it was much better than he had expected for the first time.
'I guess the natural curiosity of Lenburgians makes them more willing to try new things. The theater's killer advertising is catchy after all, hehe.' The redhead couldn't help but smile knowingly.
That made what was to come next much easier.
After all, there was a reason he had chosen to have the premiere so close to the Day of Wisdom~
One of the days when the population interacts with each other the most, it was practically free advertising.
'What story should I choose for the next one? Include Bugs Bunny or Beauty and the Beast, or since this time it's a comedy movie, the next one could be a sad one...'
An evil idea struck his mind with that last thought, a dark chuckle escaping him.
'Fufu~ Hunting is still very popular here, so why not Bambi?'
"Hmm... decisions, decisions..." Murmuring amusedly, Adryan decided he would choose after seeing people's reactions tonight.
If the laughter was loud enough, it would be a bullet for the deer.
Of course, it wasn't as if he had few options to choose from.
Thanks to the Emperor not pursuing his own 'Dreamworks' and focusing on other things, Adryan had practically a whole world of original movies to produce.
And why should he stick to movies alone?
Emperor Roselle already made the joke, so why not explain it?
'One Piece would be a phenomenon here. Pirate stories will soon be on the rise when the Mad Hunter appears. Besides, I'm sure it could end up helping in the future thanks to the type of story it is... Revolution... hehe.' The conspirator in him was salivating.
'The issue would be the ending, although with Conspirator's skills at planning, that problem won't be so bothersome... I just doubt it's what Oda planned...'
Among the things he regretted not being able to do in his world when he was Joa, one of them was undoubtedly seeing the end of One Piece.
'And Kuma's flashback was close... Sigh'
Not wanting to get sentimental now, Adryan turned his attention to himself, making sure there were no wrinkles in his clothes or loose threads.
It was a special night, so he had dressed accordingly.
An elegant, fine suit of fine tunics along with a ruby-violet overcoat that hung over his shoulders without falling thanks to his threads. Several buttons on his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing his necklace and a decent portion of his chest.
The quality was not only noticeable, but also in how they felt.
'They cost 60 sassem, that's the minimum... hehe.
'They are considerably more expensive than the one I bought in Backlund... Although the price difference is most likely due to the color. Different colors from the normal product always have a plus...'
Adjusting the last button on his sleeve, the redhead sighed inwardly, a small grimace forming on his face for a moment, 'At this point, I've spent more on suits than on paying for this room.'
Well, honestly, it wasn't a fair comparison.
He wasn't paying anything to be here.
"Wouldn't this be tax evasion? Or because the church is giving me this place, would it count as a job perk?"
While considering whether or not he was committing a crime, Adryan began to tie his hair into his typical high ponytail.
The slight creak of a door reached his ears, as did the sensation of footsteps approaching where he was.
His red gaze moved to the hallway to the side, from where his dear worm walked out calmly.
Observing his companion, whose always elegant bearing seemed taller than usual, Adryan whistled appreciatively. The corners of his lips quickly rose in a flirtatious smile.
"I'll say it again, Miss Worm. Purple really is your color~" Winking, the redhead laughed a little, amused.
"And I'll say it again, Princess Tomato. Don't state the obvious." Flora commented simply, a small smile adorning her violet lips.
The Jacob wore a beautiful purple dress with several bronze patterns woven into the skirt and bodice. It had long sleeves in a slightly darker shade of purple than the rest of the dress. Unlike Loen's style, which used crinolines to give the appearance of an umbrella, Lenburg fashion preferred not to use such devices, giving a more curtain-like appearance.
A black fabric hugged her waist like a belt, and gloves covered her hands, each with its own patterns. Her fluffy white hair was loose, hanging down to just above her back, looking like a cloud resting on her head.
That dress was one of several he had bought her when he regained his body a couple of months ago.
Adryan's eyes softened a little at that. His dear worm looked good; there was no doubt about that.
Flora, for her part, was also looking at her princess with a critical eye. No detail escaped her gaze like Marauder's.
'Although he usually dresses strangely, he never looks bad, no matter what clothes he wears. But he looks much better like this... Mhm, just right for a princess,' The Jacob nodded to herself, enjoying what she saw.
The suit was tailor-made, hugging the man's ridiculous figure nicely. The overcoat contrasted well with his color, highlighting his bright eyes and hair.
Seeing him dressed in white again, Flora was sure that if someone told her that the princess was an archbishop of a church or a saint attending the party, she would believe it.
Of course, she would never say that out loud, knowing that the saint himself would tease her endlessly or do something strange with that knowledge...
Her gaze lingered on one of the man's most notable features. For a moment, her eyes flashed before her brow furrowed in annoyance.
That was an insult she would no longer tolerate.
Snorting, the white-haired woman began to advance toward the redhead, who watched her reaction with a raised eyebrow.
"What did I do now?"
"You have no self-respect, do you?" Flora growled, quickening her pace slightly.
Arriving in front of him and without saying a word, she began to button his shirt with disdain.
"Oh."
Although surprised, Adryan did not stop her, quite interested in what was happening. "And this is because?
"I tolerate you acting like a harlot when you're wearing that thing you call a shirt, but I refuse to let you ruin such an elegant suit with your perversion." Flora did not look away from what she was doing, righteous indignation shining in her gray eyes.
The redhead usually wears something provocative with his normal clothes, and now he was doing the same with clothes whose purpose was to show off the elegance of those who wore them.
Don't look like a high-class corner woman!
Finishing buttoning the last button on the shirt, she adjusted the collar and, after pausing for a moment to admire her work, nodded with satisfaction.
"Mhm. Much better."
Immediately following that, she grabbed one of the redhead's strands of hair and pulled, lowering his head until they were eye to eye.
"Listen to me, Princess." Flora looked at him serenely, her voice carrying a legacy of dignified, ancient elegance. "I will not allow you to ruin or stain the elegance of a suit again. That is an insult to my surname and my family's legacy."
The last time, with the move the princess had made when questioning the traitorous members of the Tamara family, she let it slide for several reasons. Not only did she have to hide that she was a Jacob, but it was certain that Dabrio Tamara would have found it strange that the Scarlet Monarch's blessed one was being disciplined by someone of lower rank and status.
That would never happen again.
To finish her fair reprimand, her eyes narrowed slightly and, taking advantage of the situation they were in, she looked down at him.
"Now you are courting a woman from the Jacob family, act like it."
"..." Adryan did not blink, his red gaze staring intently at the woman's face, who at no point looked away, but returned his gaze with serenity.
For seven seconds, neither of them spoke.
Suddenly, the redhead's ponytail lost its strength, letting his hair fall and covering his eyes in red.
Puffing out a small breath of air and pushing his hair aside, Adryan looked straight at an expressionless Flora. Although it was almost imperceptible, his sharp eyes noticed how the corners of her lips were very slightly raised.
After a moment of contemplation, Adryan raised an eyebrow, "...Really?"
"Now you look like a decent princess." Being 'discovered', Flora responded simply, finally letting go of his hair.
Although the ponytails suited him well and made it easier to pull, the loose hair was just as attractive.
"...Pff."
Unable to take it anymore, Adryan raised his gloved left hand and covered his mouth to try to stifle his laughter, but failed.
His eyes narrowed naughtily, and he laughed a little, "Hehe. Sorry, sorry. Of all the things you could have done, I didn't expect that."
"I have my pride to uphold." Flora sighed, shaking her head slightly.
That brief window was immediately exploited, lips pressed quickly against hers in a swift but gentle kiss, stunning her for a moment.
Pulling away, she frowned slightly, the tips of her ears red, "You really are vulgar."
She was still not used to random displays of affection; it was too new to her.
The Reaper winked, pleased with that reaction. "What? Is it wrong for me to taste a little of my dear worm?"
The heat in her ears increased, and the white-haired Lady pressed her lips together, one eyelid trembling.
"Ha!" Snorting a little, Flora grabbed another strand of his hair, a much larger one this time, and pulled hard.
With natural precision, her lips soon touched the man's unprotected neck. And as soon as that happened, she opened her mouth slightly, revealing her teeth.
Chum!
Laughing a little, Adryan took advantage of the position and rested his cheek against the worm's head.
"Are you sure you're not part of the Apothecary pathway?"
Once she was sure she had left a mark, Flora released his neck and leaned against his shoulder, sighing without much interest, "Do you need a potion? Aren't you too young to have that kind of problem?"
"Are you sure you're the one to talk about other people's youth?"
This time, the bite was hard.
CHUM!
"Hahaha!" Laughing out loud, his arms wrapped around the woman's waist in an embrace, pulling her close to his body.
Following that, the book in his hand opened, and the yellowed pages glowed softly.
Their bodies became illusory, before disappearing from the room, jumping into a distant dream with the ability of Feynapotter's Children's Stories...
Once in the mental world, the redhead released his companion from his embrace, but made sure to still hold her left hand in his.
After a while of jumping between dreams, Flora spoke with slight curiosity, "You know you don't have to do this anymore, right?"
Having regained her strength as Dream Stealer. She no longer needed to rely on the artifact to move between dreams or for protection. So holding the hand of whoever was using the book at this point made no sense.
With how well the princess knew her path, she found it unlikely that he didn't know this.
Adryan smiled knowingly, looking at her over his shoulder with bright eyes, "If it bothers you, you can always let go~"
"Sigh. Of course, a princess likes to be escorted." Closing her eyes, Flora shook her head.
She was complaining, but she made no effort to let go of his hand either.
Thus, wandering among the dreams of the sleeping inhabitants of Azshara, they soon left the Elysium district and entered the Artelia district.
In the distance, Adryan saw a dream bubble. It was not much different from the others, but he felt a sense of familiarity coming from it.
Knowing they had arrived, he stopped next to this familiar bubble. Once close, what was inside it became clearer. A neat, modern kitchen, where a tall older man was preparing a strange piece of meat with various spices and wine.
Standing in front of the colorless watery barrier that separated them from the dream, Adryan closed the book in his hands with a soft pop.
The illusory nature of their bodies vanished, solidifying as the scene changed from the mental world to a room with dark red walls and wooden floors.
Adryan looked around him without much interest, even in his true appearance. Although Creeping Hunger was in his left hand in Faceless mode, ready to change his face if he wanted to, he did not do so.
The place where he would meet his team was a special part of the theater, a private room where only they could watch the movie without being on the lower floor in the auditorium.
At the same time, the only living beings who passed through here were his soldiers who were patrolling, some humans, and other animals. The animal soldiers were outside the theater, patrolling and ready to notify him with a prayer if anything suspicious happened.
For now, he would attend as himself.
"You can get up now, soldier."
The room they were in was mostly empty, with the only exception being a chair in one corner that was occupied.
The same man they had seen in the dream bubble was sitting there. With prominent cheekbones and a defined jawline, his grayish hair was elegantly combed. Even asleep, it was clear that he took care of his appearance and posture.
Seeing him again, the Jacob narrowed her eyes internally.
Of all her companions' soldiers, this was the one who made her most uncomfortable. Her spirituality warned her not to turn her back to him.
Although she knew they were completely under the control of the man beside her, Flora took a slight step back, putting a little more distance between herself and him.
'In what kind of person was he based on? Or does this soldier have a weird quirk?'
The camouflaged soldier opened his eyes, revealing soft amber brown.
Standing calmly, he bowed his head slightly and saluted with his right hand over his chest, "Sir."
Smiling at such a recognizable man, Adryan nodded elegantly, "Thank you, Hannibal. You may rest now."
"As you wish." With those last words, the soldier disintegrated into golden dust that flew onto the redhead's left arm, sinking into his forearm.
Turning his attention back to his partner, he continued, "The rest should be here soon."
Flora looked around without much interest, "That harlot is joining us?"
"I don't think so. She'll be in the main hall with the rest of the company." Not commenting on that nickname for his lawyer, he smiled a little.
'If Mr Otto knew he would have received a ticket anyway, I wonder what kind of reaction he would have, knowing it would be a waste to ask for anything else. Hehe~'
Everyone who worked on the movie had received tickets to go see it; whether they were the artists or the office workers, they all received a ticket to go see it whenever they wanted.
Hearing that answer, the woman sighed slightly, "I see..."
While a large part of her was pleased to hear that, another part of her was somewhat disappointed.
Not because she wanted to see that Barbarian again, but because if that bold woman dared to even try to touch her property again, this time she wouldn't just take her memories.
Without knowing or seeming to notice, a small smile appeared on her face. One that was accentuated by the strange gleam in her eyes.
Adryan saw it, but didn't comment on it, the corners of his lips twitching briefly.
It wasn't as if his worm hadn't warned him that she was possessive...
Honestly, he found that quite attractive and flattering.
'Looks like I'll have to be more careful with my interactions with Vivian from now on... The last thing I need is to lose my connection with that strange artisan grandfather...' Not wanting to lose a connection with so much potential and seeing that they had already arrived, he seized the opportunity.
Quickly stepping forward, he opened the dark wooden door but did not enter. Giving an exaggerated bow, he gestured inside with both arms, "Ladies first."
Pausing for a moment, a white eyebrow rose at the scene. 'There's never a normal moment with you, is there?'
Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Flora grabbed the edges of her dress and gave a slight curtsy.
Even if her companion was strange, she had her manners to uphold, so she thanked him accordingly."How 'chivalrous' of you, princess."
The man winked mischievously, "Always happy to help my elders."
Her eyelid twitched again for a moment, but beyond that, the white-haired woman showed no reaction.
Without saying a word, Flora walked past him, but not before making sure to step hard on the redhead's right foot.
Adryan's smile fell like a hammer, turning to bewilderment and slight horror.
It hadn't hurt much, but in terms of a mental attack, it was like a direct slap in the face.
"Hey!"
They're white shoes, damn it!
"Hehe..." An arrogant smile settled on the Jacob's face as she continued without looking back. Really pleased with herself.