Chapter 48: "Goblin Slayer" Auditions
"I want to rent you and your house for a few months. Here's the deposit, and after the deal is done, the actual price will be at least twenty times this amount."
Upon hearing Durin's words, Saiki's expression turned to one of surprise. Durin had placed on the table a pouch containing at least two hundred gold coins, a fortune that would take a silver-ranked adventurer at least half a year of hard work to earn.
"Rent me and my house?"
Before Saiki could speculate, Durin continued, "Yes, I'm planning to shoot a movie next. For that, I'd like to rent your house as a filming location, and I also hope you'll agree to play the lead role in the movie."
"??"
Clearly, as a northerner, Saiki couldn't fully comprehend the meaning of the word "movie." Durin had anticipated this, so he quickly supplemented an explanation, allowing the recluse adventurer to grasp the rough idea of movies and actors.
After understanding...
"Sorry, but I can't do that, Mr. Durin."
Saiki, who refused immediately, hesitated as he glanced at the gold coins on the table, enough to support him and the children he had adopted for several years.
"I don't want to get involved in trouble anymore. My current identity might also bring unnecessary trouble. For the sake of these children..."
"For the sake of these children, you should do it."
In the face of Saiki's hesitation, Durin calmly said, "You haven't been adventuring for a long time, right? This money should be able to settle the debts you've accumulated during this time. After completing my commission, you'll earn enough wealth to support yourself for the rest of your life. You have no reason to refuse."
"But I'm a monster now. Once my identity is exposed, I'll be hunted down by the church. If I'm gone, these children's lives will truly be in danger."
Seeing the adventurer's dilemma, Durin suddenly asked, "So, what if I offer you a chance to return to human society?"
"??!"
"Relax, Saiki, the situation isn't as bad as you think. Your identity hasn't been exposed yet, so you still have many chances to make choices. Now, you have a chance to take this money and pave a way back to human society, or you can give up this opportunity and go back to living a life where these children can only eat black bread and live in constant fear outside the town. It's all up to you."
As he spoke, Durin himself felt his persuasive abilities growing stronger lately. He even began to suspect if he was not a director but a leader of a pyramid scheme.
Meanwhile, on the other side, faced with Durin's persuasion, Saiki seemed to be genuinely swayed, showing a conflicted expression as he looked at the children behind him.
And in response, the oldest girl among the children, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old, smiled and said, "Uncle Saiki, don't worry about us. We actually know that you've always wanted to return to the adventurous life of being an adventurer, to explore and wander through every corner of the empire, to become the legendary adventurer sung by the bards. But now, you're like a bird with broken wings, a fish out of water. You're not the same as before."
"Nora, you..."
Surprised by the unexpected words from the usually obedient girl, Saiki hesitated, while Durin, from a distance, chimed in, "Yes, she's right. Becoming an adventurer is your dream, isn't it? You should want to hear people call you the mighty legendary adventurer Saiki, not just 'Hey! Look at that farmer Saiki' when they mention you, right?"
"..."
In the end, after collecting the pouch of life-saving gold coins, Saiki agreed to Durin's proposal. After all, if he didn't pay off his debts, he might lose the qualification to even live around the town. Durin's appearance had indeed helped him greatly, which was an important reason why he agreed to Durin's proposal.
However, at this moment, he didn't yet realize how much impact this decision would have on his life.
....
In the North, in the Adventurer's Guild of Winterfell.
Because the guild leader, Alyssa, had previously issued a notice here to recruit actors and extras, at this moment, those adventurers who had passed the first round of auditions were all waiting here. This included several new adventurers from the South, two receptionists from the Adventurer's Guild, and some veteran adventurers from the North.
In addition to them, Daphne and her guards had also gathered here after receiving the notice.
"Miss, are we really not going back? Won't Lord Duke be furious if we just run off to the North without saying anything?"
In response to the guard's question, Daphne firmly replied, "Of course not. We've finally passed the audition. How can we go back without finishing the movie?! Even if my father personally finds me, I won't give up voluntarily!"
The girl's determination left the guard unable to persuade her to give up. Eventually, he could only turn his gaze to the adventurers in the distance. To be honest, due to the differences in regions, the adventurers from the North and the South were waiting in different postures at this moment. Moreover, judging from their appearances, their expectations for what would happen next were completely different.
"This time, I never expected us to use a teleportation magic array to film in the North! It's the first time in my life using a teleportation array!"
"Me too, me too! And what kind of movie are we going to film this time? Is it a sequel to 'Konosuba God Blessings on this Wonderful World'? Do we have a chance to be the main characters?"
"Haha, you're thinking too much about being the main character. Being able to participate in the boss battle together as supporting roles is already lucky enough."
The enthusiastic discussion of the new adventurers was clearly heard, and Daphne, who had a rough understanding of the script, showed a subtle expression and ultimately gave up on her plan to tell them the truth.
Soon, with the arrival of the main organizers, Guild Master Alyssa and Durin, the lively atmosphere at the scene suddenly subsided.
Facing the expectant, questioning, or apprehensive gazes of the people present, Durin simply announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, please quiet down for now. Later, under the arrangement of Guild Master Alyssa, I will distribute the scripts and character descriptions for this movie to you, and then you will have auditions. Once your roles are confirmed and you've memorized your lines, we will begin filming directly!"
Because these people were not professional actors, Durin didn't expect them to have several days to prepare. His only requirement was for the actors to roughly portray their roles with the assistance of illusion magic.
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