Lucan received the question as though it were a test.
"How far? I'd do anything! This story means so much to me. The Eternal Flame isn't just a legend. It's about finding the light within ourselves, the courage to face darkness."
His eyes took on a distant look of admiration.
"I've always believed that heroes aren't born, they're made through their choices. This performance is my chance to embody that truth. Huh? Did I say something strange?"
Slap
Slap
Slap
With his arm still on his shoulder, Max could not help but continue to give him hearty slaps on his back, trying his best to not laugh his fucking ass off.
Oh god is this guy for real? Wow he's bloody perfect. Or is he just messing with me with his acting skills? Let's play along and find out.
Max leaned in again.
"I like your enthusiasm brother. Listen, there's a problem with the climactic battle sequence. The illusion crystals for the final confrontation aren't properly synchronized with the atmospheric manipulators."
Lucan blinked.
"I... don't understand what that means, sorry."
Because I made it up.
"The magical light effects won't match your movements unless we get specialized stabilizing tools. There's a supply in Professor Chessina's workshop. She agreed to lend them, but someone needs to collect them immediately," Max bullshitted, but with complete confidence.
"But my next scene starts in ten minutes."
Lucan appeared torn.
"Exactly why I'm concerned," Max said, adding worry to creep into his voice. "Without those tools, the audience won't see the full impact of your performance during the most critical moment. All your preparation, all your efforts into the character..."
He shook his head sadly.
"You... won't let them down, would you?"
Indecision warred on Lucan's face for three seconds before determination won out.
He raised a fist into the air and declared:
"I'll go. For the performance. For the audience."
"Hurry! Professor Chessina's workshop is in the east wing. You have an audience waiting for you!"
As Lucan rushed off, heroic determination in every stride, Max revealed a small smirk. In the distance, he could hear people screaming out Lucan's name, but unfortunately he had already become bewitched by Max's devilish tongue.
There was no stopping the Hero.
Phew I was a little worried he might notice something wrong with my words, especially since Professor Chessina's workshop is in the west wing, not the east. But it seems I was worrying too much. Even for senior students, they may not be aware of every location on such a large campus. By the time he figures that out and finds the actual location, the next act will be well underway.
After managing to send off the Hero on a side quest, Max looked around for a while longer before settling his eyes on parchment on the props table.
Found it.
"The Eternal Flame" told the story of an ancient hero who defeated the evil dragon Agra, threatening to engulf the kingdom in eternal night. The climactic battle resulted in the creation of the Eternal Flame—a magical fire that protected the realm from darkness.
Thinking back to what he had seen earlier, and catching the commotion from the stage crew, Max was able to roughly piece together which scene the performance was currently underway.
Soon, the Hero's village would have their peaceful daily routine shattered as shadows began creeping across the backdrop, signaling Agra's approach. Then the performance would enter Act Two featuring the dragon's devastating attack, with Act Three building to the hero's confrontation with the beast.
A hero and a dragon, huh? Standard western fantasy folktale. In my opinion, this performance needs something more... memorable. Something that will have the academy talking for weeks.
He scanned the script further, noting the progression of scenes.
The dragon was played by a combination of magical illusion effects and two martial path specialists named Kent and Tyne in a segmented costume. The setup required careful choreography and precise timing to maintain a convincing illusion of a massive beast.
After finishing his quick read of the script, Max moved his hands together and...
RIIIIIIPPPPP
He ripped the script apart, grinning as the torn pages fluttered to the floor.
"Let's make this performance my way."
***
"Has anyone seen the dragon harness? Kent and Tyne need it for their entrance in ten minutes!"
Max blocked the assistant's way, his expression serious.
"Change of plans. Director Taellon wants to elevate the performance with a last-minute addition."
He snatched a nearby staff prop. It was an imposing wooden rod topped with a crystal that glowed faintly red.
"The dragon now has a master."
The assistant blinked in confusion.
"What? There's no Dark Lord character in 'The Eternal Flame.' It's always been just the dragon and the Hero."
With a smooth motion, Max lifted his staff, pressing it lightly under the assistant's neck as if it were a blade.
"Wha—?"
"Every performance of this story has been the same old same old for years. *Haah* The director wants something fresh, something shocking." His grip tightened slightly. "A twisted villain, driving the dragon's rampage. Someone the audience can truly hate."
"But... but the script—"
"It's trash. Doesn't art change with time? The dragon can stay, but now it's a tool for something darker."
Max wickedly smiled.
Before the assistant could protest further, Max turned his back and grabbed a random piece of parchment from a nearby table.
Being careful to not have his actions be noticed, Max scrawled a note, making sure his handwriting was illegible.
"See here? Director's orders. The show must go on!"
The assistant hesitated, looking from the unintelligible note to Max's confident expression.
"I should really check with—"
"What are you doing?! There's no time! The audience is waiting! Do you want to be responsible for ruining one of the academy's premier cultural events?"
The pressure worked.
The assistant swallowed nervously and shook his head fervently.
"What... what do we need to do?"
"First, I need something that looks like a villain would wear."
Max was already scanning the costume racks.
"Nothing fully masked as the audience needs to see my expressions. The Dark Lord has to look like an evil big shot."
More importantly, I need to be the talk of the week.
He quickly rummaged through the place as if it were his own turf. Then, after finding what he needed, he assembled into an outfit.
One that was deliberately mismatched.
An ornate black robe with silver trim that was a size too large, a tattered red cape that might have once belonged to a king costume, and a crude circlet with jagged points that could pass of as an impression of a crown forged in darkness.
The assistant looked in horror at his malevolent appearance that was not polished like a traditional villain in a play, but something more unhinged…
"But what about the script? The dialogue?"
"I'll handle the improvisation," Max assured him, donning the costume pieces. "Just make sure Kent and Tyne know I'll be riding the dragon."
"Riding the—?"
The assistant's eyes widened further.
"They can barely support the weight of the costume, let alone a person!"
"Are you kidding me? They are aura path practitioners, aren't they?"
Max scoffed in disdain.
"Tell them to consider it additional training. The show must go on!"
The words, "Additional training? We are performing right now!!" were forcefully left unsaid as the assistant met Max's glare. Not willing to linger any longer, the assistant hurried away to deliver the impossible news to the dragon performers.
In the meantime, Max continued his preparations. He slipped the enrollment crystal into an inner pocket of the robe, making sure it was secure. The red crystal atop his staff prop glinted in the backstage light.
Max had just finished adjusting his costume when he spotted commotion at the backstage entrance. Junior Carrington and his five accomplices had finally managed to talk their way past the security guard, who was now being distracted by other issues.
"Search everywhere!" Junior commanded. "He has to be here somewhere!"
Max didn't hide.
Instead, he strode directly toward a group of stagehands, staff held high.
"Hey you lot! The performance has some big changes! We need six extra performers immediately!"
The stagehands looked confused, but before they could question him, Max pointed dramatically at Junior and his companions.
"Those six dogs! They're perfect for the Dark Lord's corrupted followers!"
Junior froze, immediately recognizing Max despite the bizarre costume.
"YOU! Get him!"
Max welcomed them.
He raised his voice to address everyone backstage:
"THE SHOW MUST GO ON!"
He smashed his staff against the floor.
"These six are part of our performance! Secure them! Prepare them for transformation!"
The backstage crew exchanged bewildered glances. This wasn't part of any rehearsal they'd participated in. But the command in Max's voice, combined with the chaos of pre-performance preparations and the vague rumors of last-minute changes, created just enough confusion to hesitate.
Max seized on that hesitation.
"Are you all trying to screw over Director Taellon's vision? His career is riding on this performance!"
He pointed at Larry.
"Show them the transformation potions! Hurry up!"
Larry blinked in surprise.
"The transformation sequence potions? But it's a little too early!"
"The sequence has been moved up," Max declared, lowering his voice to a threatening growl. "The Dark Lord's entrance requires minions. Now."
Larry hesitated, then reluctantly retrieved a wooden case containing six vials of swirling, multi-colored liquid. "These aren't meant to be consumed directly. They're supposed to be used with specific illusion—"
"Yeah yeah," Max interrupted, taking the case. "Now—jump them."
By this point, Junior and his companions had realized they were being set up. They turned to flee, only to find their path blocked by confused but determined stagehands who had decided that following instructions was safer than questioning them.
"Sir, what do you mean by jump?"
"…Right, you guys would need me to spell it out. It means pounce!"
It was an order.
The authoritative voice held the unmistakable tone of someone used to being obeyed.
It only took one person to find the courage to jump, before the rest started jumping them.
"The show must go on!" Max declared.
"The show must go on!" the backstage crew echoed back!