The Lion and the Mouse
*Sigh...*
Perhaps because of the recent incident, I found myself spending more time lost in thought.
Any feeling that Rosaria and I had grown closer felt like a mirage. Unless I took the initiative, the distance between us only grew larger.
Yet, when I tried to approach her, Rosaria's earlier demeanor came back to mind, leaving me shrinking back again.
Yes. Demon Lords are transcendent beings born from [The Law of Creating a World].
Among them, the Demon Lord known as the Ashbringer, also known as the Tyrant of the North...
She will be your new Journey member.
Perhaps I had been clinging to something impossible.
For an ordinary human like me to understand her is—
...Hm?
Ah, Captain. I thought I'd find you here.
Lisa? What brings you here?
I came to see Ms. Rosaria, of course.
An expense claim was submitted for materials needed for the play... but the amount is completely outrageous.
An expense claim?
You didn't know? She also sent a draft of the script along for reference.
Since it was work that needed handling, I skimmed through it, but the contents were a bit...
Actually, it would be better for you to read it for yourself.
Lisa handed me the crumpled bundle of papers she had been holding.
It was a script by Rosaria, something I'd never read before.
...
As I scanned through it, entranced, I came to realize how shockingly low-quality it was compared to Rosaria's constant boasting.
The dialogue was flat, and perhaps due to her attempt to adapt our chaotic Journey, the story itself felt awkward.
Even with a cast of renowned actors, a script like this would likely ruin the whole performance.
Yet every page I turned was filled with one unsettling incident after another.
And as I traced the story back to the first page I had skimmed over...
The handwriting was all crooked, as though it reflected her perception of this world.
Roles that were neither human nor Demon Lord.
...
Captain? What's wrong?
It's just like you said, Lisa...
This is awful.
Right? Pouring money on a script like this would be unreasonable, even with NOA's support.
It might be hard to convince Ms. Rosaria by myself, so I was hoping you could speak to her directly.
After all, some things don't get across unless you put them into words.
...Yeah. You're right.
Thanks for telling me, Lisa.
Not at all. Handling Journey-related administration is part of my job.
Oh, and while you're at it...
Yes?
...Please revise the scene where Ms. Rosaria single-handedly defeats a hundred Saviors.
And the one where she uses the Star Savior as her chair as well.
...
I'll try my best.
I heard there was a new quest, so I came...
But this is a theater, no?
Yes. Watching a movie is the request.
What sort of fool would commission a job like this?
Me.
...Oh?
You've finally gone mad.
I thought you liked the especially unhinged.
Understanding the market will help with your script, too.
Well... you're not entirely wrong.
But you're not planning to waste my time on some third-rate script, are you?
It's a pretty popular movie.
The story goes like this...
I gave Rosaria a brief explanation of the movie's plot.
It was an adaptation of the fable "The Lion and the Mouse."
A lion who spares a mouse's life later overcomes a crisis with the mouse's help.
Hmph. Even worse than I expected.
...Not to your taste?
No. What I find lacking is its internal logic.
Unless something provoked it, a lion would have no reason to eat a mouse.
...Hm?
It would hardly fill its stomach, and chasing it would only waste energy. So why bother?
For example... Yes. That pitiful mortal who dared waste my time over something as trivial as a pet dog.
Had I truly wished it, that one would have been reduced to ashes.
So it wasn't me that stopped the attack?
Ahaha! You?
Prey know to crawl away at the mere hint of violence, acting whatever.
...
Listening to Rosaria, I looked down at the movie ticket.
I meant to show that even if the lion didn't eat the mouse, things can still end well, but...
Hey, why are you tearing up the movie ticket?
If the lion has no intention of eating the mouse...
Then what comes next is entirely up to the mouse.
What nonsense are you babbling about?! I was going to enjoy some popcorn once we go in!
Give me my popcorn!
As Rosaria flailed about, people nearby began looking our way.
It felt awkward to head back to the quarters immediately, and we still needed to talk about the awful script...
Rather than a theater where we'd be speaking side by side, it seemed better to go to a place where we could talk face-to-face.
There's a place nearby called Cafe Strega.
I'll buy you some there.
Hmph. At last, you are making sense.
Go on, then. Offer me caramel popcorn at once, acting whatever.
Watching Rosaria fly off ahead in high spirits, I headed toward Cafe Strega.
The difference in our pace gradually widened the distance between us...
Yet in the end, we would arrive at the same place.