3.
-All of the special seats have already been sold out!
-That… Has that ever happened since we joined this theater company?
The actors were excited.
-It hasn't. We were lucky if even half of the seats were filled….
-If this continues, won't we be able to experience the same things great actors do?
-Our junior is a gem! Ugor!
Even if they were just a third class theater in an alley, no, especially because that was the case, they couldn't help but rejoice at the fact that the VIP tickets had been sold out.
However, as soon as they heard the plans for their next performance, their expressions changed.
-A performance without a single line of dialogue?
The seniors were shocked.
They couldn't even imagine such a thing.
-How the hell….
"Think of it in the opposite way."
I slowly explained.
"I don't know if you know this, but the original Fire Paintings didn't have any lines. There was no script. Only controlling your aura to move fire, that is the origin of Fire Plays."
-I-, Is that so?
-Umm.
The seniors tilted their heads slightly.
'Well, I suppose…'
Their reaction was natural.
I knew it because I'd seen it, but these children had not.
'I'm talking about 900 years ago.'
It was a tale that was around 900 years, but it could be rounded up to 1000. It was impossible for the current goblins to know what the original appearance of Fire Painting was.[getid]
In this era, I was the only one who could speak with certainty.
"Seniors. Did you know that the goblin race has the ability to feel emotions just by looking at flames? You have extremely amazing sensitivity. I believe you can reawaken that sensitivity."
-....
"Instead, lines are a hindrance. The reason why seniors' acting is so bad isn't because seniors are bad. It's because you think of the Fire Play as [someone else's story]!"
I looked at each hobgoblin.
One eye.
One arm.
One ear.
There were all actors who had lost something important.
"You all have shining gems in your hearts. But they are buried. And as long as they remain buried in sand, then it doesn't matter if they are gems or ordinary stones. I will help seniors dig up the sand. And I will help you truly love acting."
-Y-, you always say such embarrassing things.
I nodded.
"I mean it."
-....
"For seven days."
I covered my hand with aura.
And engraved [7] on the wall of the theater.
"Instead of sleeping, I will teach you how to do it."
That night, the tutoring class began.
4.
"Sit in a comfortable position. As comfortable as possible. It's fine if you stretch your feet out."
The actors sat comfortably on the stage.
"Good. Does anyone have sore shoulders? Tell me if you're uncomfortable. I'll give you a massage to help you relax. No one? Okay. Let's get started."
I stood in front of the seniors and opened my mouth.
"Now then. Usually, aura is determined by more than just your thoughts. It is an [expression of your will] rather than the [awareness of your thoughts]. There might be some words you don't understand. Seniors. Raise your auras and show me the expression of your will."
-Uh….
Caught off guard, the actors raised their auras.
They fluttered slightly like mirages.
I could not see the shape nor catch the scent.
Compared to Uburka, who was the strongest goblin to ever exist, it could even be said that they [had no talent].
"That isn't your best, is it?"
The actors were embarrassed.
-U-, um. There are times when it is better …
"Right. There are days when it [comes easily]. When you're in a good condition, and your emotions are moving vigorously, your aura seems to come out easily. However, that is not enough."
-Not enough…?
"From now on, you will need to be able to call upon your aura whenever you want."
-Ugor.
The seniors smiled nervously.
They probably didn't think they would be able to summon it at will.
Their smiles were those that could only be seen on people who had already given up.
I smiled too.
"I have a suggestion. Let's not use the word [will] anymore. It's true that [aura] moves according to your will. However, [triggering aura] is not caused by your will."
-Huh?
"Aura is triggered by [memories] not [will]."
That was the conclusion I'd made.
This was something I came to realise in the Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon, master's world.
"Seniors need to learn how to [recall memories well]. [Developing strong will] is not a story about catching clouds."
-Recalling memories well….
"Yes. As clearly as possible."
I looked the goblins in the eyes as I spoke in a serious tone.
"Seniors. Think about the [sea]."
The actors closed their eyes.
-Mm.
"Are you thinking about it?"
-We're thinking.
"Okay. I'll try to guess. You're thinking about a horizon that stretches out on both sides, right? It's just like a picture drawn on paper? A pretty shade of blue. Right?"
The seniors nodded.
I smiled.
"That is the lowest form of memory. It's also the memory association you should avoid the most when using aura."
-Ugo?
"Seniors didn't think about the sea just now. Instead, you just thought about the word [sea]. With such a low level memory, your aura would never bloom fully. Now then!!"
I clapped my hands.
"Stand up!"
The actors hurriedly got to their feet.
"This time. I want you to imagine walking on a sandy beach. Imagine the water covering your ankles, your toes sinking into the wet sand. Whoosh. The seawater flows between your toes. It swirls around your ankles for a moment before receding."
-....
"What color is the water? Is it blue?"
-No. It's clear.
"What about the seawater flowing through your toes? Is it warm?"
-It's cool.
"So it's cool. Is the seawater clean?"
-No… the grains of sand make it murky.
"As the waves hit, the soil is swept away. Good. Now imagine the sand getting stuck between your toes. Small grains stick to your ankles as well."
-Mm.
"I hate the feeling. The grains are rough, aren't they? And they became sticky because of the water."
-That's right.
"You went into the seawater and even your calves got soaked. But the salt doesn't feel good on your skin. What should you do then? What will you do?"
Each actor responded differently.
-I'll go to the well and wash my feet first.
-SInce I came all the way to the beach and even got wet, I'll swim as well….
-Are there no clams?
Okay.
"This is what you call a [strong memory]."
I spoke.
"Seniors. When you think of something in the future, never start with the word, like [sea]. Instead, try to remember specific sensations, like [the feeling of the soles of your feet moving in the wet sand]. Then you will be be able to use the memory."
I looked at the one eyed hobgoblin.
"How did it feel when you first thought about the sea? It was just blue, right? Like a simple drawing on paper."
-Ugor.
"But how would it feel to dip your feet in it? It's not clear."
-Right.
"Not only is it not clear, it also reminds you of an unpleasant feeling. Seniors were even able to think about what you were doing and what you would do after. That's it"
Properly recalling memories.
Recalling specific sensations, like the feeling of sand stuck to their toes.
If they could do that easily then their skill in using aura would naturally increase.
"—If seniors had a memory of [being burned to death]."
Fwoosh.
Flames came to life on my hand.
"It would be possible for seniors to express that hell with aura. A death crisis is usually the most effective at forcefully imprinting a memory into a person."
-....
"Perhaps you see me as someone who was born with the talent to be an actor. As someone who could express vivid emotions and actions as if I was truly in the scene. I'm sure seniors are jealous of this. I would be jealous too. Seniors. Do you want to know how I got my talent? Do you want me to tell you the secret?"
As I spoke, the flame on my hand burned brighter.
"Because I have the memories."
Trauma.
"How would someone act if they fell in the middle of such a hell? For me, it's simple. This is because I experienced that hell already. And that will always stay with me. No matter what you do, it is impossible to escape the shadow of your memories ."
-....
Uburka was another example.
It was the same for that child, who later became the strongest in the history of the goblin race.
That child suffered from extreme albinism.
For others, sunlight was a blessing, but for Uburka, it was like the blade of an enemy. Just walking around outside during the day was like a battle that he had to overcome. That child, who had the sun as his enemy, naturally decided to cover his entire body in aura.
"The [Rampant Fire Sword] that we will perform next week is about Kekerkker being disappointed and angry at the Flame Emperor. You're not Kekerkker. Nor are you the Flame Emperor. But does that matter? Have you never been disappointed in someone?"
I looked at the actors one after the other.
One eye, one arm, one ear.
I looked at these broken kids one by one.
"Have you never let someone down?"
-....
"There is no way you haven't."
I let the fire fade.
"We have all experienced bastards, and we have all been bastards to someone. Any of you seniors can be Kekerkker. The Flame Emperor… ah… that guy is a bit more difficult. His bastard-like existence is hard to replicate. I'll play the role of the Flame Emperor in the next performance."
No matter how amazing my tutoring was, time was still limited.
In this group, I was the only one who could properly play Yoo Soo-ha.
The three actors all looked at me with complex gazes.
-Then…
-Kekerkker's role.
-Who will be the one to take it?
"One of you will."
I answered.
"I will give the leading role to the person that has achieved the most in this week."
I said it in a different way.
"The person who can show the most disappointment will have the leading role."
The seniors went silent
5.
-My father is a gambler.
The one eyed actor's name was 'Arika'.
-It had been like that since I was little. When he was young, he went to the blacksmith to learn to do ironwork, but he got into gambling after being introduced by his colleagues. However, he was a little talented. Or at least that's how it seemed.
There were some instances where those who were talented led more miserable lives than those without talent.
Talented gamblers were one of them.
-Sometimes he'd obtain a mountain of gold coins in a day. In that case, he'd buy a villa for us to stay in. He'd also pay for expensive tutors and housekeepers. I could also eat whatever I wanted.
"How long did that last?"
-The longest was 2 years. The shortest was 3 days. Usually, it was around 2 months….
The one eyes Arika muttered.
-Whenever he won money from gambling, he would do business with it. He would start companies with other gamblers or loan money to them. There were times when things went well. However, if the business didn't go well….
Doing business always had ups and downs.
It was a skill to ride the flow when it was going well, but it was also a skill to endure when it wasn't.
-He always tried to make a fortune by gambling.
Unfortunately, Arika's father lacked the ability to endure.
-It was like this. He usually made about 3 gold coins a day. It was good if there was profit, but if there wasn't, he would gamble and try to win it. In my father's words, that was also a part of business, and it couldn't be helped.
The one eyes Arika sighed.
-I didn't have a home. It was either villas or inns. I never stayed in a place long enough to call it home. We lived in the biggest cities, but if his gamble failed, we would move to a worse one, and a worse one after that….
Arika covered his head.
-One day, a woman came to the inn we were staying at. My lifestyle was a mess and I had slept in the room until after noon. I wondered who was knocking on the door, so when I opened it, I was scowling.
「Are you Mr. Arika?」
-It looked like something was wrong. I thought my father had gotten in trouble again. Sometimes people who lent my father money came to him. Or maybe she was someone who worked at the inn.
「Is your father here?」
「No.」
-I had just woken up from my sleep so I wasn't thinking very clearly. And my expression was sour. So I held the knob of the door to show that I wanted to close it as quickly as possible.
「Who are you?」
「....」
The woman didn't respond.
She just left after hesitating for a while.
Although he thought it was a bit strange, Arika simply closed the door without trying to stop her. When his father returned that evening, he told him about the woman.
-That woman was my mother.
"...."
-She'd left when I was only three years old. So I didn't recognize her
Arika's eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes dazed.
-Everything was fine. However, I kept thinking about my expression at that time. I was annoyed. I looked at her as if she was annoying me. I held the door knob the entire time. Like I disliked her presence. But I didn't know.
He looked down at the ground with his one eye.
-But why did my mother call me [Mr. Arika]? Why the [Mr]? I couldn't understand. I'd heard that my father and mother had decided on my name together. So why was it [Mr. Arika]? I don't know.
A soft murmur escaped his lips a moment after.
-Shibal.
Next.
The one eyed actor left and the one armed actor came in after him.
He had a white tattoo covering his entire body that ended at his right shoulder.
-I was a drug dealer.
The one armed actor's name was 'Yumar'.