Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 620

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 66.
The Velvet-Lined Invitation (33)
“Hey, hey.”
Erichi yawned and waved his hand. He claimed he’d slept poorly the night before due to an uncomfortable bed at the Inn. But really, wasn’t the Inn good enough? What more could he possibly want?
Soon Erichi sauntered back and asked.
“So the Director has arrived?”
“No, not yet.”
“The Director hasn’t even come, yet you tormented only me? At this rate, we won’t start on time, will we?”
“That’s not true. The Director will arrive precisely on schedule.”
“Ugh, fine. The Director will soar through the heavens and land directly on the Stage. What couldn’t they do? They’re Amarilli’s Director, after all.”
“Right. And if the Director arrives and the music setup is incomplete, I’ll silence that mouth of yours for good, so just keep talking for exactly ten more minutes?”
The two glared at each other as if ready to devour one another, then quickly looked away. In Erichi’s view, Amarilli was an indiscriminate follower, while in Amarilli’s view, Erichi was a complainer who didn’t know when to shut up.
When they were both in Kalayso, their relationship hadn’t been this bad. The wise elders of Morbianez had stood between them. But since they’d departed together for rehearsals of this performance, their relationship had escalated into extreme confrontation.
The decisive difference between them was that Amarilli’s life had been turned upside down because of the Director, while Erichi had only met the problematic Joe Hispanie four days ago. And Amarilli couldn’t bear the fact that when Erichi met the Director, instead of being overwhelmed and submitting immediately as she’d expected, he’d simply responded, “Just a pretty-faced kid, really?”
“Did you listen to what your Uncle and your Master told you about the Director with your armpits?”
“Well, if that’s how it is, it seems I have the ability to think with my armpits too.”
Amarilli didn’t back down and instructed Group 1’s twelve members to take the Stage. After positioning each of them, it was nearly time to begin. Growing slightly anxious, Amarilli carefully scanned the Mountain Ridge. No one was descending from Tastania Castle.
“It’s about time for them to arrive.”
Seeing Erichi shading his eyes and peering at the sky infuriated her. Erichi suddenly energized, went over to the musicians, swiftly completed final checks, and took his position. He even remembered to flash a rotten smile toward Amarilli on the Stage.
One minute before.
Group 1 had taken their positions but stood uncertainly, unsure whose instructions to follow. Amarilli decided to wait a bit longer, and if it didn’t work out, she’d step in herself to buy time. She moved to a spot where she could see the Stage directly and stood there. One member of Group 2, waiting below the Stage, asked.
“Are we starting without the Director?”
“….”
Before she could even give a signal, Erichi and the musicians suddenly began playing the overture. The intent was obvious—to fluster Amarilli.
Group 1 looked around in confusion, unsure what to begin. The other waiting groups were the same. Even the unprepared Amarilli’s mind went blank for a moment.
If Amarilli now panicked and stopped the music, the audition would start off looking clumsy from the beginning. All the effort Amarilli had put into preparing so perfectly would be for nothing.
Just as the furious Amarilli was about to dash toward the orchestra.
“Number 1! Elvin Goodfellow!”
As the role was called, the first applicant quickly rushed out. Elvin Goodfellow is a woodland sprite—capricious and timid. Though lacking costume and backdrop, he immediately took his position, stood on one leg, and let his upper body sway like a willow. He crossed his feet and leaped, retreated a few steps, then thrust his body forward again with sparkling eyes.
“Number 2! Amelia!”
Amelia is a librarian from a city that doesn’t believe in Tastania’s legends. She stood with her arms crossed in a defiant posture, frowning and pointing accusingly at the “fools” around her.
“Number 3! Kais!”
Kais is a man who believes his fiancée was kidnapped at Tastania Castle. But the third applicant was a woman. After a moment of confusion, she suddenly rushed between the other applicants. She repeatedly charged at them threateningly and retreated, ran across to the opposite side of the Stage, then dropped to her knees and collapsed.
“Number 4! Ludvika Skander!”
The fourth applicant was truly flustered. Such a character didn’t exist in the script. If anything, the name was similar to the protagonist’s, but was it perhaps Ludvik? Wait—were they asking her to perform the protagonist as female?
She hadn’t imagined she’d be given a leading role, so her mind went blank. She remained that way for nearly a minute before suddenly breaking into song.
From the tomb where I imprisoned myself,
This hand that pulls my hand—
Can it spread the hideous shroud beneath the sun
And transform it into wedding vestments, do you believe?
Amarilli froze in place before snapping back to awareness. The commands were being issued from behind the second group, who had been standing in line. It was someone wearing a round hat with round spectacles fitted with yellow glass lenses, hunched over and wrapped in a brown poncho adorned with fringe like the people of Tia.
Yet the moment they rose to their feet, no amount of such garb could conceal their willowy frame and the dancer-like grace of their movements. Those luminous eyes—the kind that made anyone who met their gaze hold their breath for three full seconds.
Joe Hispanie. Joshua. As Amarilli rushed over, Joshua raised his index and middle fingers in greeting before turning his attention back to the Stage.
“Director!”
The candidates of the second group startled and stumbled backward several steps upon realizing that the silent observer seated behind them was their director. Joshua continued issuing instructions to the Stage while turning to acknowledge Amarilli.
“You prepared well. The music was acceptable too.”
Amarilli had much to say, but held her tongue since the audition was still in progress. After instructions continued through the twelfth round, the music ceased five minutes later. The moment Amarilli sprang to her feet, Joshua turned toward her and smiled.
“You look like you have plenty to say.”
“I certainly do. An enormous amount, in fact. There are things those two people who nearly ruined this audition absolutely need to hear.”
Yet the moment Amarilli beheld Joshua’s radiant smile, her mood shifted dramatically, and her anger began to dissipate. Thus her second remark emerged far more gently.
“But where did you rush off to so urgently?”
“Over there.”
Joshua gestured behind him with his finger while glancing toward the musicians. When Amarilli turned to look, she saw he was pointing toward the Ruined Castle. Her expression grew bewildered.
“There? That place that looks like ghosts might appear?”
“Yes.”
“And did you see any ghosts?”
“Yes.”
Amarilli thought Joshua was speaking carelessly, but that was not the case. In any event, there was no way for her to learn the truth. Joshua fell into thought for a moment, then signaled to the second group.
“Let’s proceed immediately.”
In this manner, the audition concluded swiftly through the fourth group. Joshua never dragged auditions out. Though he held not a single sheet of paper throughout the entire process, he announced the results immediately.
“Group One: candidates one, three, four, ten, and twelve. Group Two: candidates three and nine. Group Three: candidates eight, nine, and eleven. Group Four: candidates two, four, and seven—please remain here. To all others, I extend my deepest gratitude for your interest and time.”
Erichi approached from a distance, casually carrying a sack. Following Joshua’s prior instructions, pouches containing the audition fees were distributed to those who had not advanced. Upon spotting Erichi, Amarilli immediately pointed with the fervor of someone about to report and opened her mouth.
“Director, about how that person performed today—”
“I know.”
Joshua had likely returned quite early and positioned himself among the candidates, so he would have witnessed Erichi’s attempt to subtly sabotage the audition.
Yet Joshua, who typically showed no mercy for intentional mistakes, seemed surprisingly unangered. Amarilli pressed further.
“But you’re just going to let it slide?”
“They didn’t seem ready, so I decided to give them one chance today.”
“Didn’t seem ready?”
Joshua smiled with composure and continued.
“Your esteemed Uncle took Amarilli as his disciple instead of you, and that’s why you’re jealous.”
Erichi looked as though they wanted to leap up and protest—to cry out “That’s not it!”—but their opponent was the director. Yet Joshua, as if anticipating this, waved his hand in a calming gesture toward Erichi and spoke.
“It’s alright. I understand that feeling.”
Joshua von Arnim was directing at twenty-one years old, a prodigy of the performing arts and wealthy enough to fund all his own productions.
Even Erichi, who disliked him, had never seen anyone with such an appearance. He was also the heir to the Duke’s House. In short, he was someone who had never needed to tread upon muddy ground.
He must have lived his entire life in a world of light. He had never shown the slightest sign of struggling, no matter what he undertook. He simply proceeded with ease, yet with absolute perfection. Whether the task was difficult or simple.
And yet he claimed to understand the feelings of someone who had to stake their pride on some trivial position?
“How could you possibly understand, Director? You’ve never been in a position like mine.”
“That’s true. But I’ve witnessed it many times.”
There was surely no shortage of people who had gone mad with jealousy after seeing someone like Joshua. He read Erichi’s unspoken thoughts from their eyes alone and added with a bitter smile.
“People possess imagination, after all.”
“Ah, I see. Because the Director possesses such exceptional imagination, you understand perfectly well—merely through conjecture—the feelings of a man who must endure endless misunderstandings while standing utterly alone, without a single ally to his name?”
Joshua laughed with an amused expression and replied.
“Then perhaps you do understand?”
Had merely three more exchanges passed between them, Erichi might well have hurled his hat to the ground, or cast off his gloves and challenged the Young Duke to a duel, forgetting entirely who his opponent was.
But fortunately, they were interrupted. A few of the audition applicants, whispering amongst themselves, had been lingering near Joshua, and at last, as if having reached a decision, they approached and opened their mouths.
“Director! My apologies, but if we’re not intruding….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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