Chapter 36: Premiere Begins!
In the evening, at Norsrick Grand Square.
Just after dinner, children were playing around on the spacious square, while couples took leisurely strolls along the pathways. Performers were busy preparing their props on carts...
Despite living in a world of magic, the daily life here was rather mundane compared to the epic adventures found in fantasy tales. Yes, unlike Earth, which had already entered the internet age, offering a plethora of entertainment options from the comfort of one's home, the people here rarely experienced such leisure. While children, brimming with innocence and creativity, entertained themselves with simple games, older adults found themselves with little to do.
As the day's work came to an end and evening descended, with no particular activities planned, people could only wander around the square to pass the time.
However, today's Norsrick seemed different from usual.
Suddenly, amid the curious gazes of the young crowd in the square, a cart carrying a large white cloth slowly made its way forward, pushed by several workers. Following closely behind was a young man, not particularly tall, with blonde hair.
Facing the crowd's confusion, the young man, Durin, didn't offer much explanation. He simply retrieved a prepared imaging crystal from his hand, found a suitable angle, and gently placed it down, infusing it with magic.
"Aren't those people from the Norsrick Grand Theater? What are they doing here?"
Soon, someone recognized the workers, but even after identifying them, they couldn't comprehend why something unrelated to commoners like the Norsrick Grand Theater would come to this square at this time.
As various forms of curiosity and confusion gradually enveloped the entire square, Durin, sensing that the sky was darkening enough, skillfully projected footage from the magic crystal.
In an instant, accompanied by the trailer Durin had edited, shock appeared on the faces of everyone gathered on the square. The previously quiet square was suddenly abuzz with various exclamations and expressions of disbelief.
This situation far exceeded Durin's expectations. While he, as a modern person, was accustomed to movie advertisements and trailers, and even somewhat fatigued by them, for the people of this world who had never encountered such things, even an advertisement was an unfamiliar and intriguing novelty, perhaps even overly so!
"Mama! What's that?!"
"Um, it seems quite interesting..."
"The Norsrick Grand Theater? It must be expensive..."
"But it should be okay just to check it out, right? After all, I've never seen moving pictures in my life!"
Various discussions spread across the square at this moment. As anticipated, Durin silently signaled behind him, and immediately, the many adventurers who were already on standby discreetly blended into the crowd.
The adventurers' sole task at this juncture was to act as promoters, drawing on their past experiences from preview screenings at the Adventurer's Guild to extol the virtues of movies to these inexperienced viewers.
Considering the quality and significance of movies, it was inevitable that Durin would gradually attract more people through word of mouth, even without concerted efforts. However, since these adventurers willingly offered their assistance, Durin saw no reason to turn them down.
Their willingness to help stemmed from their profound sense of superiority. Being among the first to appreciate movies, they were eager to share their excitement with those who hadn't yet experienced them or simply to showcase their knowledge.
In essence, at this moment in Norsrick, similar scenes were unfolding at three different locations. Ordinary people, who had never before seen a movie, were now captivated by the trailer of "Konosuba: God's Blessings on This Wonderful World," and they were determined to visit the Norsrick Grand Theater to discover what this phenomenon called "movies" was all about.
Joseph was an ordinary young man, much like most young people in Norsrick. In his childhood, he harbored various dreams, aspiring to become a hero whose deeds would be sung by bards. However, under the pressure of family and the harsh realities of life, he had no choice but to become a staff member at the Norsrick Grand Theater, owing to his family's connections.
Today, as usual, he arrived at the theater to work during the night. However, unlike before, the theater appeared vastly different. Not only was the stage moved outside, but also the decorations and props, once highly valued by Viscount Banil, were now strewn about like trash at the entrance.
Perplexed by this situation, just as he thought the theater might be on the verge of closure, the bustling scene at the theater entrance left him incredulous.
"What's this? I don't recall any theater troupe coming recently."
Joseph's confusion mirrored that of the other staff members beside him. Those who were on night duty today, due to scheduling issues, were oblivious to what had happened during the day. After their names were called by the shift leader, they belatedly began to guide the chaotic crowd into queues.
Observing the crowd, Joseph was even more astonished to see that those lining up at the entrance were not the usual affluent ladies and aristocrats who enjoyed stage plays, but rather ordinary folks who would never have set foot in the theater before!
As these art-agnostic commoners chatted excitedly at the theater entrance, Joseph gleaned the gist of their conversation. It seemed that tonight, the Norsrick Grand Theater was hosting an unprecedented performance, a movie called "Konosuba: God's Blessings on This Wonderful World."
As Joseph delved deeper into this bizarre situation, he discovered an unexpected turn of events. He found out that the usual theater tickets, which used to cost at least five silver coins each, were now uniformly priced at five copper coins. Moreover, the distinction between first-class and second-class tickets had been completely abolished. It seemed as though the intention was to allow everyone in the town to enjoy this new form of performance.
This unprecedented situation left Joseph incredulous, but driven by curiosity, he managed to discreetly obtain a ticket as a staff member. Taking advantage of a gap in his shift schedule, he seamlessly blended in with the first batch of ticket holders and entered the grand theater.
Although Joseph had had opportunities to sneak into the theater before, he never bothered much because he couldn't understand stage plays. In fact, he would often doze off while watching. As a result, after attending one performance, he had never bothered to watch another stage play again.
However, this time, as Joseph looked at the words "movie ticket" written prominently on the ticket, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of anticipation in his heart. He promptly found his seat, eager to see what lay ahead.
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