"Wake up, Marin. The troupe's carriage is already waiting for us."
Raul walked into the bedroom, pulling the curtains, opening the window, and yanking off the covers in one fluid motion.
"Can I sleep for five more minutes?" Marin asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Of course not. Don't you remember? You're the one who wanted to audition for the *Shadow of Evil*. If we're late, you'll miss your chance."
"Okay, Dad." Marin got out of bed grudgingly. Leaving the warmth of her blankets was no easy feat.
A few minutes later, Raul rushed out of the house, carrying Marin in his arms.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting."
"It's alright. The Mixed Giant Beast Corps never abandons a comrade," the Half-Beastman driving the carriage said gruffly.
Though it sounded a lot like the name of a Mercenary Corps, they were, in fact, a genuine theater troupe.
It was just that most of their peers refused to acknowledge them as one.
Their members came from all sorts of races: Beastmen, Half-Elves, Underground Dwarves, and even a Shapeshifter who handled all the special character roles.
Furthermore, they'd never had any formal acting education; they had figured out their methods on their own while performing in villages and towns.
Theater critics and the grand theaters all believed they were an insult to the "noble art" of drama, forbidding the Mixed Giant Beast Corps from taking the stage in Twin Tower City.
But today, their long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived. Zog's Toy Store was recruiting actors to star in a Shadow of Evil production called *Holy Mountain Journey*.
Raul figured that since it was just a toy store looking for actors, the big-shot theater troupes in the city would surely turn up their noses at it.
He'd heard of Zog's Toy Store. Their Yo-Yos were so popular that nearly every kid in the city had one. Now they were spreading to the suburbs, and he'd even heard there were salesmen on the trains pushing Yo-Yos on tourists.
Just a few days ago, he'd seen someone so absorbed in playing with something while walking that they ran right into a tree. That toy was apparently called a Magic Cube, and it was also from Zog's Toy Store.
He figured that with business this good, they had to be earning at least several Gold Coins a month.
'That's an enormous amount of money.'
His intuition told him that even though the store had never produced a play, they were bound to be innovative. This was their chance.
"Dad, what's a Shadow of Evil?" Marin's little face was alight with excitement at the prospect of going into the city.
"Um, it should be similar to a play, I guess. The recruitment notice said that experience with a theater troupe is preferred."
"Oh, then it must be boring." In Marin's mind, plays were always long, hard to understand, and had predictable plots—not nearly as good as the stories she made up for Lado.
And who is Lado, you ask?
Lado is her best friend, a big yellow dog, and the best audience for her stories. He'd be even better if he didn't try to lick her right after eating his poop.
The carriage traveled along the suburban path toward Twin Tower City. Two hours later, the group arrived on Chrysanthemum Street.
The exquisite buildings made their patched Old Clothes look completely out of place.
Raul had never been to this street before. It was far too expensive; buying anything here would cost as much as several months of living expenses for him and his daughter.
The street outside Zog's Toy Store was packed with people, a scene completely different from what he had imagined.
Raul felt a little awkward. He had convinced his fellow troupe members to come to the audition by arguing that a toy store putting on a play was sure to draw a small crowd.
"Look, are those people from the Purple Lily Theater Troupe?"
Raul followed his companion's finger and saw a group gathered outside the store, all wearing Purple Lily badges on their chests. They were one of the best theater troupes in the city.
'Damn it. I was hoping we could land a role with a few lines, but that hope seems to be fading fast.'
Under an awning outside the store, a Half-Elf was handling registration. A small clock sat beside him, and every few minutes he would mutter, "One Copper Coin... I've earned another One Copper Coin."
Well, they had come all this way. He couldn't just back down at the sight of the Purple Lily Theater Troupe. Raul went over to fill out the registration form.
Seeing the lineup of the Mixed Giant Beast Corps, the Half-Elf became much more enthusiastic and carefully explained the information they needed to fill out.
However, the more Raul wrote, the more his heart sank. The names ahead of him on the registration list were all from renowned theater troupes. It wasn't just Purple Lily; Swan Castle and Shepherd were there too. Practically every troupe of any standing in the city had shown up.
How could the Mixed Giant Beast Corps even get a look-in? He had originally thought that if they couldn't get a main role, a supporting one would be fine. But from the looks of it, they wouldn't even be able to snag a walk-on part. This was probably a wasted trip.
'How could this be?'
On the table was a list of available roles and their corresponding pay.
After a quick look, he immediately understood why the competition was so fierce.
Even a role with only a few lines paid Three Gold Coins. The notice said that unlike a play, a Shadow of Evil didn't require multiple performances; it just needed to be performed well once to be recorded. 'This toy store is loaded!'
The auditions were being held on the ground floor. The toy shelves had been cleared out, leaving a wide-open space. There were many mannequins set up in the middle, and at the far end, a few people sat behind desks. They must be the judges.
Raul stood on his tiptoes to peek inside. The judges appeared to be two women—one very young, the other a bit older—and... was that a Sub-Dragon?
The Half-Beastman from his troupe was so nervous he was constantly wiping away sweat, his leg shaking uncontrollably.
"What's wrong? Why are you so nervous? If we don't get picked, we don't get picked. We'll just treat it as experience."
"It's not that. It's the Dragon... and that woman. They're dangerous. Terrifying. We should run."
"Huh?" Raul was baffled. "Even Marin isn't scared. What are you so afraid of?"
"It's not the same. It's different. My instincts are never wrong."
Just as Raul was trying to reassure him, the young judge called out the next person to audition.
"Swan Castle Theater Group, Yu Lian."
The crowd of onlookers let out a collective gasp.
Raul had heard that name, too. He was the leading man of the Swan Castle Theater Group. Every play he'd starred in for the past few years had been a massive success. Rumor had it some noble had spent a fortune just to promote him. 'He must be aiming for the lead role,' Raul thought.
After looking over the script excerpt, Yu Lian did a few warm-up stretches, settled into a boxer's stance, and began his performance.
"Stop!"
Not even thirty seconds had passed before Elsa stopped Yu Lian.
"Have you ever even been in a a fight?"
"Of course I have. My boxing coach is the best in the city, and I never miss sparring practice."
"I'm not asking you to act out a practice drill. This is a real battle. You're facing the vile creations of a Necromancer, a mindless, raging zombie. Are you playing house? Do it again."
Yu Lian was indignant. He'd been performing on stage since he was twelve and had never received anything but praise. And this little girl dared to say he was just playing house?
If it weren't for the money and out of respect for Madam Furin, he would have cursed her out right then and there.
'Madam Furin isn't even looking at me?'
'She must just be tired. If she were really watching, she would surely be captivated by the charm of my performance. What right does that little girl have to speak?'
Yu Lian composed himself, reset his stance, and began his performance once more.
"Stop!"
She stopped him even faster this time.
"Are you incapable of understanding plain language, or do you just not grasp the concept of a life-and-death crisis? Who are you even trying to impress with such a pretentious performance?"
"This is called a theatrical performance! Have you ever even seen a truly great play? What right do you have to criticize me?" Yu Lian finally snapped back.
"Did I say this was a theatrical performance? Perhaps the stage enjoys your pretentious style, but I have no use for it here. Next," Elsa said, her tone dripping with contempt.
"You're the one who doesn't know anything! Don't think you're so special just because you latched onto some rich patron to fund your little theater fantasy. Pah! Let's have Madam Furin judge! Ask her if my performance was excellent or not!"
The more Yu Lian spoke, the more worked up he got. 'Madam Furin will definitely support me,' he thought. 'She's seen the Swan Castle Theater Group perform many times. She must admire my charisma.'
The thought of having her support gave him a surge of confidence. Elsa didn't look like a noble, so she must have slept her way to her position. He'd done the same, after all.
'Neither of us is clean, so what right do you have to humiliate me like this?'
Caught up in the heat of the moment, Yu Lian started to curse.
"You tasteless bi—"
He couldn't get the last word out. His throat suddenly constricted, cutting off his voice, and his breathing became increasingly difficult.
'It's a sensory Illusion Technique!'
Madam Furin looked at him as if he were a piece of trash and put a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.
"I'm... sor... ry..."
Yu Lian practically squeezed the apology from the depths of his throat, but Madam Furin remained unmoved. Instead, she pointed a finger at Elsa.
Yu Lian's head spun, the dizziness growing stronger until he collapsed to his knees. He tried to apologize to Elsa, but no sound would come out. Just before his vision went completely black, he vaguely saw Elsa give a slight nod.
Suddenly, oxygen flooded back into his lungs.
Raul was dumbfounded.
The once high-and-mighty Yu Lian was now sprawled on the ground, gasping for air like a beaten dog, his ragged breaths so heavy it sounded as if he were about to cough up a lung.
"Next. Mixed Giant Beast Corps, Raul."
Raul glanced back at the Half-Beastman, who was now shaking like a leaf. His instincts had been right after all.
'In the past, the worst that could happen from a bad performance was getting booed off stage. If I bomb this audition today... I'm not going to lose my life, am I?'