Mercenary Wars

Chapter 222 The Illusionist

The Illusionist.

As the name suggests, the job of a magician is to apply makeup using illusion magic.

Therefore, in essence, a magician is a type of mage.

Female mages are clearly more likely to enjoy this job.

For example, at Axes Academy of Magic, many female students spend a lot of time learning illusion magic, and then after graduating, they take a job at the nearby White Agate Opera House as illusion makeup artists.

Hilbel was one of them.

As an outstanding graduate of the Academy of Magic, her illusion magic is extremely sophisticated. With the help of various spellcasting materials or "magical makeup"—these specially made materials can resonate with magical energy to prolong the duration of the illusion and enhance its realism—she can easily deceive the naked eye and transform a person into any appearance.

She can bring legendary warriors, historical monarchs, and mythological angels to life through her makeup and present them vividly to the audience on stage.

At this very moment, Sybil was in the magic dressing room, applying makeup to the actors who were about to go on stage. The room was filled with the faint fragrance of various magical makeup materials.

Gaucano sat quietly to the side, fascinated by the magical work environment. His gaze would occasionally wander over the exquisite tools and materials, and sometimes he would look at Sybil and the actors.

Although Sybel is a highly skilled illusionist, she seems unconcerned about her appearance, openly displaying her true self. This is quite unusual in an industry where beauty is paramount, as most of her peers use illusions to enhance their appearance, sometimes to an exaggerated degree.

Gaucano believed that she was showing her true self.

Because she doesn't look pretty.

If she lived in the countryside or a small town, she might be considered somewhat attractive.

But in a big city like Axel—especially around the opera house—her face was rather ordinary, perhaps even lowering the average level of the entire opera street.

However, she has a good figure and temperament. She is tall and slender, calm and composed, and her every move exudes a professional elegance. Wearing a loose white dress, she looks like a white swan swimming in a lake.

The actor receiving makeup from Sybil is a little boy who looks only eight or nine years old. He is lively and keeps swinging his legs while sitting in the chair.

"Sister Sybel, have you ever been to the War Academy?" He kept asking Sybel questions, his voice clear and full of anticipation.

“I’ve been there once,” said Hibel as she carefully applied makeup to the young actor, her brush gently tracing the contours of his face.

"Then after this performance, can you take me there?" the young actor asked again.

Hibel: "Why did you suddenly want to go there?"

"A man should be a warrior!" the young actor said, puffing out his chest slightly, trying to appear brave.

Hibel smiled and said, "Being a warrior is not easy, at least much harder than being an opera singer or a magician. You have a lot of talent for performing and some magical talent. You may become a famous opera singer and magician in the future. There is no need for you to suffer at the War Academy."

The young actor, however, became aggrieved. After moving his lips, he said, "But John and the others... they called me a sissy! They said that only girls wear makeup every day, and only girls cry so easily!"

Hibel smiled as usual: "That's because they don't know any better."

The air was briefly still.

Then the young actor said, "How about I change roles? I've played 'Little Hamsus' dozens of times. Maybe I should try a role like Muradin! I'm about the same height as a dwarf!"

Hibel: "Playing a dwarf isn't easy. You'll need to learn some dwarven language first. Besides, Muradin is a saint, and I suggest you never play a saint."

"why?"

“If you mess up the role of Hamsus Jr., people will just laugh at you. But if you mess up the role of the saint, you might be accused of ‘vilifying the saint,’ which has happened before.”

Hibel added, "Remember what happened last month? You went shopping dressed as Little Hamsus, and your tutor scolded you in the end—"

The young actor couldn't help but chime in with a complaint, his little face scrunched up: "I've never seen a mentor so fierce before! Honestly, it's just buying something, and they're making me feel like I'm stealing!"

Hibel sighed. "George, it seems you still haven't learned your lesson. The problem isn't with buying things, but with abusing illusion magic. Little Hamsus is a blood elf, so only your mentor will reprimand you."

“But if you wander around like a king or a saint next time, it won’t be your mentor who’s causing you trouble.” Her tone became serious as she said this.

Just then, a waiter poked his head out from the doorway: "Little George, it's your turn to go on in twenty minutes."

“Okay!” George replied.

Sibel's makeup work is basically finished.

Various magical makeup materials were applied to little George's face, making him look greasy and strange.

But as Sybil chanted the spell, the powder began to glow and quickly enveloped little George's skin.

After a few seconds.

As the light faded, little George's features became even more handsome, his skin was fair and flawless, and with his pointed ears, he clearly looked like an elf.

He rubbed his cheeks.

Unlike low-level illusions, illusionists' illusions usually have a certain physical deformation effect, which can create a realistic tactile sensation.

Therefore, as he moved, his cheeks naturally changed shape and showed a visible bouncy texture, which fit the character design of a "blood elf child".

"Sister Sybil, your illusion makeup is getting more and more amazing!" Little George exclaimed, then jumped off his chair. "I'm ready to go on stage!"

But Sybil quickly stopped him: "Wait, I haven't added 'Magic Warning' to your status yet."

“No need, would anyone really think I’m a little Hamsus?” George said.

“It’s the opera house’s rule, it can’t be omitted,” Hilbert said, then recited a spell, “Alright.”

As soon as the "magic warning" incantation was completed, Gaucano, who was sitting to the side, immediately felt that little George began to emanate waves of magic.

The fluctuations were confined to a small area, but they were very noticeable. Even someone completely ignorant of magic could easily detect the anomaly.

But without a doubt, with this, any intention of an actor to use a character's image to deceive or swindle will be exposed.

Little George skipped and hopped out of the dressing room.

Only then did Sybel turn to look at Gaucano, her face displaying a polite and gentle expression: "Hello, I am Sybel."

Gaucano also stood up: "It's nice to meet you, my name is Gaucano."

After the polite exchange, he took out Amaro's letter.

"What is this?" Hibel was taken aback. Gaugano: "This is from Amaro. He unfortunately passed away due to some accident. Before he died, he asked me to give this letter to you."

Upon hearing the news of Amaro's death, Sibel's expression froze for a moment.

She seemed to hesitate for half a second before formally taking the envelope and opening it.

The letter was short, only one page long.

But she still looked down at it for more than ten minutes, clearly indicating that the information or emotions in the letter were far more than just one page.

“Amaro…how did he die?” she asked, her gaze still fixed on the letter.

“A divination mishap.” Gaucano shrugged slightly and said only, “I think you should know his divination style.”

This was clearly the answer Sybil had anticipated, so she nodded unsurprised: "His teachers and classmates warned him, but he just couldn't change, and in the end, he paid an irreparable price..."

Gao Jiano was taken aback: "You and Amaro are classmates?"

Hibel: "Yes, he and I were both students at Ax Academy of Magic, but we were only classmates for a year. After that, Amaro was expelled from the academy."

Gao Jianuo nodded suddenly.

He was curious about why Amaro had been fired.

However, seeing that Sybil seemed a bit down, he ultimately didn't say anything.

Hibel put the letter away, then exhaled and put on a polite smile again: "Is this your first time visiting Ax and White Agate?"

"Yes."

"Then you must not have read 'The Blood Elf Prince's Revenge' here. If you have time now, I can take you to see it as a thank you."

"Are there any seats left?" Gao Jiano couldn't help but ask, having heard that Bai Nao Hui was always packed.

Hiber: "Of course not, but the opera house staff have their own seats where they have a better view than most of the audience."

“Let’s go, the show is about to start,” she said.

“Okay.” Gao Jiano also wanted to see the famous Bainaohui performance, so he nodded immediately and followed Sibel out of the dressing room to the staff seating area of ​​the opera house.

On the way there, before we even sat down, the stage curtain slowly opened, and melodious music began to play.

The scene was quite shocking.

First of all, the performance hall here is very grand, capable of accommodating thousands of audience members, and has an extremely high dome and a vast space. The huge circular dome is painted with exquisite mythological murals, which appear particularly magnificent under the illumination of magical light sources.

Although it is vast, it is not empty.

A massive stage, magnificent crystal chandeliers, and Patrick marble sculptures all around... every detail has been meticulously designed and arranged perfectly, showcasing the city's highest artistic standards.

Of course, even more important were the packed audience and the melodious and magnificent background music.

The music seemed to emanate from both sides of the stage, yet it resonated evenly throughout the entire hall, ensuring that every audience member heard the same sound. Clearly, magic also played a role in this, in addition to the performance itself.

As the curtain rose and the music rose and fell, scenes and characters from "The Blood Elf Prince's Revenge" appeared on stage one after another, under the expectant gaze of everyone.

The stage setting was constructed using both physical objects and illusions. The physical objects provided the foundation, while the illusions added endless possibilities. The fusion of the two created a dreamlike visual effect that looked realistic and stunning.

The magnificent palace, the distant mountains, the giant dragons soaring through the sky... Gaucano was amazed to see these things on the stage.

Some scenes can even affect the audience.

For example, when a fire breaks out on the stage, everyone will feel the heat wave; when it's windy and rainy, the wind blows directly through the audience, and the rain is experienced by the audience through "illusionary wetness". This immersive feeling makes everyone feel like they have become part of the story.

The characters are equally lifelike; the actors not only perfectly embody the characters from the story, but they also speak some ancient languages, primarily Blood Elf. A few Blood Elf phrases spoken at opportune moments instantly create the perfect atmosphere, making the audience feel as if they have truly traveled back thousands of years to the era when Blood Elves still roamed Farallo.

"The Blood Elf Prince's Revenge" is one of the most well-known operas featuring blood elves as the main characters.

The story is actually a bit cliché—at least that's what Gaucano thinks.

The opera's protagonist is Hamsus, a blood elf prince whose historical authenticity is questionable. Some historians believe he truly existed, while others believe he was simply a product of the collective creation of generations of bards.

But almost all historians agree that Hamsas's story is entirely fictional.

In the story, Hamsus's uncle murdered his father and took his place as king.

Young Hamsas was imprisoned and endured fourteen difficult years.

Hamsus later went through many trials and tribulations, successfully escaped from prison, and arrived at a deserted island called "Mosa Mountain," where he gained astonishing power and wealth, and ultimately succeeded in taking revenge.

Intertwined within are the love, hate, and grudges of several women.

Extraordinary characters such as angels, demons, and dragons take turns appearing, accompanied by fantastical costumes, scenes, and perfectly fitting background music, creating a spectacular show.

The actors not only looked incredibly realistic, but their acting skills were also superb.

The devil was played by a veteran actor named Raphael, who was also the most famous devil actor at the Bainao Opera House and even in the entire continent. When Raphael appeared on stage in a scarlet figure from hell, his superb acting skills, combined with the chilling music, made many devout Mosas involuntarily make a triangle gesture in front of their chests and murmur prayers.

George Jr. also attracted a lot of attention.

His portrayal of young Hamsus was very popular with the audience. When he laughed, many people laughed along with him, and when he cried, the women in the audience cried even harder than he did!

In short, at least in terms of visual effects, Gaucano was very satisfied with the performance.

It's much more enjoyable than watching a movie.

But he gradually discovered a problem.

This performance went on for far too long!

The actor playing Hamsus alone had four different roles, representing the child, teenager, young adult, and old age, with each actor performing continuously for more than an hour.

The scenes changed countless times.

There are still a few halftime breaks left!

The entire performance lasts a full eight hours!
(End of this chapter)