Time flew by, the sun setting in the west.
The sun, which had illuminated the sky, was slowly sinking into the western plains. Dazzling sunset rays scattered upon the vast Royal Capital Tivian. Streetlights along the roadsides were lighting up one by one. Rows of chimneys on the distant horizon continued to spew thick black smoke, and ships in the harbor slowly departed amidst humming sounds.
At dusk, at a busy street intersection in East Tivian, traffic was dense, and voices were clamoring. Countless carriages converged here, and bustling pedestrians crowded the sidewalks. Mr. and Madam in formal attire gathered in groups of three, chatting and walking forward. The carriages along the roadside were already parked full, and countless newly arriving carriages, unable to find a parking spot, had to drive further away. There were dedicated police officers maintaining order on site.
On one side of the intersection, a massive circular building stood. A wide staircase was covered with a red carpet, extending towards the tall, open solid wood doors. On either side of the doors stood thick marble pillars, and flanking the doors were two rows of doormen standing straight with chests puffed out, wearing neat uniforms. On the upper floors of the building, rows of giant banners hung down, printed with images of beautiful dance stars in red robes. A large sign above the main doors spelled out 'Flying Theatre'.
Gentlemen in suits and ladies in luxurious long gowns walked together on the red carpet, chatting and heading towards the theatre's interior. Meanwhile, on the edge of the sidewalk, Dorothy, wearing a small tilted hat, a black mini-dress, and black stockings with small leather shoes, looked at the scene before her and couldn't help but murmur quietly.
"This scale... it's much bigger than the charity event back in Igwinte. Is this truly the capital?"
"Is Miss Dorothea from Igwinte?"
Standing beside Dorothy, Naifnis, wearing a simple white long dress that accentuated her figure, a wide-brimmed hat adorned with flowers, glittering earrings and necklace, and carrying a small purse, asked Dorothy curiously. Dorothy nodded in response.
"I suppose I stayed there for a while. I attended similar evening events there... but the scale was nowhere near this big."
Dorothy replied simply. Thanks to Naifnis, she had managed to get tickets for this rather popular performance in Tivian. With a relaxed mood, she and Naifnis had come as planned to see the show.
'Although I'm just here to relax and watch a performance, based on Naifnis's description earlier, this theatre... this performance doesn't seem to be ordinary or simple. I hope nothing bad happens.'
Dorothy thought to herself. Meanwhile, Naifnis spoke up again.
"Miss Dorothea, shall we go in now? The performance seems to be starting soon, and the doors will close if we don't go in."
"Okay, let's go."
Saying so, Naifnis and Dorothy walked onto the carpet together. Naifnis's figure combined with her walking posture was so eye-catching that it drew wolf-like stares from a crowd of gentlemen, causing some ladies to immediately cover their mouths with fans, a thick sense of jealousy radiating from them. They also wanted to strike some voluptuous poses to attract attention, but because their corsets were ridiculously tight, making any large movements was incredibly difficult; they either got breathless or nearly fell. In contrast, Naifnis didn't deliberately use any corsets, moving naturally as usual, which only attracted more attention.
'No matter where Naif goes, she attracts so much attention. People like her usually can't engage in any secret work.'
Watching the scene beside her, Dorothy thought to herself. Afterward, she continued walking into the theatre with Naifnis along the carpet. After passing through a long corridor, they arrived at a fork in the road.
"Guests with seat numbers starting with 'c' please proceed to the left. Guests with seat numbers starting with 'b' please proceed to the right. Guests with seat numbers starting with 'a' please continue straight ahead. After going up the stairs, you will quickly find your respective seats."
At the fork, several staff members holding signs were guiding and dispersing the guests, directing them to enter the venue through different entrances. Seeing this, Dorothy and Naifnis both took out their tickets and glanced at them, finding that their initial letter was 'a', so they continued straight ahead.
After walking for a while longer down a beautifully decorated corridor lined with vases and sculptures, Dorothy and Naifnis were met by ticket takers. After successfully having their tickets checked, they turned and ascended the stairs, walking upwards for quite some time. Upon exiting the stairwell, they finally reached the viewing stands of the stage venue.
This was a vast, fan-shaped space. The wide stage was at one end of the space, and with the stage as the origin, tiered seating rose from low to high in a fan shape. The stage was currently covered by a large red curtain. Between the stage and the seating, in front of the curtain, was a band preparing their instruments.
Since quite a large number of audience members had already entered, the venue was currently bustling. Dorothy looked around and saw heads bobbing everywhere in the stands.
'This venue is really big. It feels at least twice the size of the Gem Theatre in Igwinte. And even with a venue this large, it's almost full. This Adele's popularity is really something...'
Dorothy thought to herself. Then, she followed Naifnis to find their seats according to the seat numbers on their tickets. After sitting down, they quietly waited for the performance to begin.
"Miss Dorothea, do you really think there's something wrong with this performance? Will we... encounter any danger?" While waiting, Naifnis asked Dorothy in a low voice filled with worry. Dorothy slightly shook her head.
"I don't know yet. It's just a judgment based on Mosans's reaction that there might be a problem, and the possibility of the problem being with the theatre itself is greater than with the performance. Anyway, let's just watch slowly for now. Even if there is a problem, it's a small one. There are so many people here, there won't be any major danger."
Dorothy replied to Naifnis. With a venue this large, there were at least several thousand people. No reckless organization would dare to attempt a large-scale operation involving thousands of people right under the noses of the An Yin Bureau and the Church.
Amidst the waves of clamor, time gradually passed. Finally, after most of the guests had settled into their seats, the band members located in front of the stage began to pick up their instruments and play music. A light and melodious tune echoed throughout the venue. Upon hearing the music, everyone in the venue quieted down. They all knew this was the signal that the performance was about to begin.
As the music resonated, the entire venue became quiet. After the venue quieted down, the band playing the music suddenly changed their technique. The rhythm gradually accelerated, and the music being played began to transform from slow and melodious to steady and rhythmic. The entire transition was seamless and smooth, without feeling abrupt.
The music progressed gradually with a steady and slow bass line, building from low to high, seemingly accumulating some kind of momentum. The giant curtain on the stage slowly opened along with the orderly progression of the music. Between the separated giant curtains, people saw a figure wearing a yellow and red striped men's suit, holding a cane, pressing a top hat, and wearing a half-mask.
Just as the audience was guessing whether this figure was the host, the music that had been gradually building suddenly erupted, startling the audience as it surged with a fast rhythm. Moving in sync with the music was the figure standing alone on the stage; he began to dance, following the music that surged like a river.
The figure's feet rapidly tapped the stage floor, striking a fast and joyful rhythm together with the music. His body swayed and twisted following the steps and the music, and the cane was constantly exchanged and wielded between his hands, sometimes stomping the ground to mark the beat, sometimes spinning like a juggling stick, letting go and catching it again.
This was a dazzling display of skill, a joyful dance. The dancer's movements on stage were fast, powerful, direct, and precise. The dancer's entire body and every movement were integrated with the music, transforming into what seemed to be the rhythm itself. The high-speed leaps and dances seemed to be never-ending, echoing and pulsating like a heartbeat, forever, until death.
Starting with such a high-difficulty, fast-paced dance immediately ignited the audience's emotions. Applause had already begun the moment the dance started, and as the music and dance reached wave after wave of climaxes, the applause also rose in sync.
Along with the music, the fervent dance steps finally reached their climax. In the final peak, the dancer put her hand on her face and tore off her half-mask and hat. Her long golden hair, which had been tied up, suddenly flew out. The beautiful and charming female face revealed beneath the mask was identical to the one on the giant poster outside the theatre.
She was Adele. Brillez, the undisputed star of this performance.
When Adele appeared, the atmosphere at the scene instantly reached its peak. Countless audience members in the stands erupted in cheers and screams at that moment. Adele, having finished the first song, also smiled and bowed to the audience members in all directions before slowly retreating. Then, the host slowly ascended the stage from below and began hosting in a loud voice after the audience's emotions had slightly calmed down.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Welcome to this performance. You have already enjoyed Miss Adele's opening performance, so next..."
The host was speaking loudly on the stage, while in the audience stands of section A, Dorothy's eyes were fixed on Adele, who was retreating backstage.
'Is this the dance star Adele? What an eye-opening dance... This professional level... I feel like it's beyond what ordinary people can achieve.'
Dorothy thought to herself. At first, when she saw Adele's face in the photo, she thought the other party was primarily an alluring star who relied on her looks as a selling point, like some internet celebrities in the past. But now, she could completely confirm that the other party was a genuine powerhouse. The dance she just performed, with its difficulty, was not something just anyone could do. With both skill and beauty, it was no wonder she had such a great reputation.
"So amazing. I've heard before that Adele's dancing was great, but I didn't expect it to be this strong. If I had known, I should have watched her dance more times earlier."
Watching Adele take her bow after the first act, Naifnis, who was beside Dorothy, also exclaimed with emotion, and then she spoke with some concern.
"But then again, that fast-paced dance just now must have been very physically demanding, right? But she barely seems out of breath after finishing it. Truly remarkable..."
"Stamina, huh..."
Listening to Naifnis's words, Dorothy murmured softly, seemingly pondering something in her heart. At this time, the host on the stage had finished speaking and the second act was about to begin.
Although this performance was centered around Adele, it wasn't entirely her acts. The second performance was a group dance performed by a group of girls. According to the host's introduction, these girls were the resident dancers of this theatre and were all professional dancers, named the Flying Dance Troupe.
Although the second performance was not as stunning as Adele's opening act, it was still excellent and received warm applause from the audience afterward. Following this was a chorus performance for the third act.
Dorothy and Naifnis quietly enjoyed the wonderful performances on stage one after another. Dorothy constantly paid attention to her Spirit Sight to prevent a situation like the Igwinte charity event from occurring, but from the beginning until now, she hadn't felt any traces of Spirit Sight in any of the acts she watched.
'Everything is normal? It seems I was overthinking. It looks like this is a normal performance, and something like the Igwinte charity event was just a special case...'
Dorothy thought to herself. At this moment, the third chorus performance finally ended. As the performers retreated backstage amidst the audience's applause, the host appeared on stage again and called out loudly to the audience before him.
"Thank you to the Blue String Chorus for their wonderful singing! Now, ladies and gentlemen, are you all impatient to witness Miss Adele's dancing again? Then let us welcome Miss Adele and the Flying Dance Troupe back to the stage with enthusiastic applause to bring us their brand new masterpiece, 'Crimson Mother'!"
Finally, amidst the audience's enthusiastic applause, Adele. Brillez appeared on stage again. At this time, she had changed out of the male attire from the first performance and put on a bright red dance dress. Her fair figure, enchanting face, paired with the red dress, Adele's appearance once again drew a wave of cheers from the audience.
Following Adele, a group of young men and women appeared. They were also wearing mostly red clothing, but none were as bright red as Adele's; they were all a bit dimmer. These were the Flying Dance Troupe who performed the second act, and now they were going to perform a joint dance with Adele.
After the performers were in place, the music began. Compared to the fast-paced and cheerful music of Adele's first appearance, this piece was very slow and low, with a hint of melancholy in the melody. And Adele, in this sorrowful music, began to dance again, while the rest of the Flying Dance Troupe danced around her.
This time, Adele's dance was as soft, slow, and graceful as the music, unlike the powerful feeling of the first act. It was more full of feminine charm. The accompanying dancers also danced around Adele, sometimes close, sometimes far, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, completing this large-scale dance with Adele.
Adele's dance this time was titled "Crimson Mother", a dance with a touch of theatrical performance. The dance seemed to tell a story, a story of a mother and child. Adele, who was always in the center of the stage, was like the mother, while the other dancers from the troupe who danced around her were like children.
When Dorothy first heard the name of this dance, she thought it might be some kind of secret transmission dance and began to raise her guard, but after watching carefully for a while, she didn't find any traces of Spirit Sight, which made Dorothy feel relieved.
'It seems there's nothing wrong with this performance... Maybe I'm just a bit too sensitive. Let's just enjoy it in peace...'
Just as Dorothy was thinking this, her gaze sharpened, noticing a spot on the stage, and then her brows furrowed slightly.
'Something... feels strange?'
Dorothy thought to herself. At this moment, her gaze was fixed on a female accompanying dancer on the stage, wearing a red short skirt and with her brown hair tied up. This accompanying dancer was behind Adele, dancing with the others to accompany Adele. However, compared to the other accompanying dancers, her movements seemed slightly stiff. If one looked closely, her expression also seemed extremely wooden. Dorothy's seat was relatively close to the stage, allowing her to see these details clearly.
'That accompanying dancer... is very strange... and strangely familiar... This wooden expression, this unnatural stiffness and regularity of movement... it's really familiar, strange... Have I seen this situation somewhere before?'
Looking at the scene before her, Dorothy began to think. And with the Erudite's information processing ability, she quickly found the source of the similarity.
'When I use the Corpse Puppet Ring to control a Corpse Puppet without adding 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment), it seems to be this kind of situation... When I conducted Corpse Puppet control experiments back then, those Corpse Puppets all showed similar characteristics...'
Thinking of this, she immediately extended her spirit threads to check, and after checking, she found that the other party was indeed dead. The one accompanying Adele in the dance was a dead person.
'That accompanying dancer... is a Corpse Puppet!?'
Dorothy realized in surprise. And just then, she suddenly noticed that the Corpse Puppet dancer she had been focusing on had deviated from her original dance route during the performance, moving from the back towards Adele while dancing. Using the dance movements, she pulled out a small knife from under her skirt, a small knife polished and carved from white Stone, with ancient and mysterious characters densely engraved on it.
Holding the small knife, the Corpse Puppet dancer with vacant eyes danced towards Adele's back.