Translator: Yang_Wenli
The screening for Hachiko ended. A rare occasion, no one applauded for the movie. The names of the performers were being shown on the screen.
Yet, none of the audience showed courtesy by clapping their hands. Priestess Oranka turned around to glance at the audience seated behind her. All of them had strange expressions on their faces.
A portion of the male actors from the Weissenasche Theatrical Troupe seemed to be resisting something. As for the female actresses, they were already choking with emotions, sobbing and wiping away their tears with their handkerchiefs.
“This is great... Hachi.”
The other Blackwood Elven priestesses seated beside Priestess Oranka were also affected by the ending of the movie. They too were completely covered in tears.
“The movie has ended. Sisters, liven up your spirits... Do not show your weakness to the humans,” Priestess Oranka attempted to comfort the priestesses.
“We know... but Priestess Oranka...”
Seeing how they were having difficulties speaking due to all their sobbings, Priestess Oranka sighed.
In contrast to the other priestesses, she and Elder Safran remained very calm. It wasn’t that they were not touched by the movie. It’s just that Priestess Oranka possessed great control over her emotions and had forcibly suppressed the sorrow in her heart.
After all, she would have to negotiate with that human later. Negotiating with eyes reddened by tears was not a wise choice.
Soon, lights slowly brighten up the screening theater. Unfortunately, many of the female audience still haven’t stabilized their emotions. Nevertheless, with tears still rolling down their eyes, they applauded at the movie to express their praises.
During all this, Priestess Oranka has been looking at the list of performers. She remembered the names of all the soundtracks to the movie.
The Blackwood Elven priestesses were also known as ‘Singers.’ They were in charge of using songs to pass down the most important records, the epics, of their elven race. As such, Priestess Oranka could be said to be a musician too.
She was very fond of the accompanying music to ‘Hachiko... She hoped that she would be able to request for the musical score from the human who created them.
The movie has thoroughly ended. The audiences began to walk out of the screening theater. Priestess Oranka did not manage to see Joshua among the people exiting the theater.
An attendant from the Weissenasche Theater walked over to the Blackwood Elves and informed, “Everyone... Mister Joshua awaits you all in the theater’s study.”
“Please wait a moment,” said Elder Safran all of a sudden.
Seated next to him, Gallolie was still in a state of sadness. Perhaps Hachi’s death incited some sort of resonance within her.
Perhaps she started recalling the death of his old friend Ayte. When Elder Safran thought of this, his expression trembled slightly. But, he soon contained his emotions and regained his expressionless face.
“Elder Safran, if you’re unable to recover from the state of sadness, I can proceed to negotiate with that human on my own.”
Priestess Oranka noticed Elder Safran’s slight change in expression. Even though the aged elven elder appeared calm and composed, she knew that he was suppressing her emotions... the same way she was.
“You don’t have to worry about me. I wouldn’t lose control of my emotions in the negotiation. While it is true that the movie made by humans was very... outstanding, it did not affect me much,” said Elder Safran.
“...”
Priestess Oranka, for some indescribable reason, failed to be convinced by Elder Safran. That said, at this point, Gallolie had managed to stabilize her emotions.
“Flay... bring her and the other priestesses to a resting area. I’ll be back real quick,” Gallolie ordered her elven bodyguard Flay.
As the mixed demon blood little girl had cried too much from the movie and was already exhausted in her escape from the abandoned mine, she ended up curling up and falling asleep in Flay’s bosom.
“I... understand.”
Guided by another theater’s attendant, Flay left carrying the sleeping little girl. The other eight elven priestesses also left with Flay.
As for Gallolie, she led Elder Safran and Priestess Oranka and started following the attendant to the study.
The study was located near the screening theater. After the attendant led Gallolie to the study, he bowed courteously and left.
When Gallolie moved to rotate the knob and push open the door, she was suddenly stopped by Priestess Oranka.
“Daughter of the Forest, please wait...” said Priestess Oranka.
“What’s the matter?” Gallolie turned around to look at the two elves in a confused manner. She discovered that they both had strange expressions on their faces.
“No... I... am merely thinking about how to communicate with that human,” When Priestess Oranka said those words, the feeling of shame filled her heart.
It was the first time she lied to the World Tree! Furthermore, she lied for an extremely senseless reason!
Through the Blackwood Elves’ sharp hearing, Priestess Oranka could hear relaxing music playing in the study. That was one of the many accompanying musical scores in ‘Hachiko: A Dog’s Life.’
As she had just finished watching the movie, Priestess Oranka couldn’t help herself from remembering the plot of the movie when she heard the soundtrack.
She tried very hard to suppress her emotions. She was nearly overwhelmed by those memories of the movie. If she hasn’t quickly stopped Gallolie from opening the door, she might have to quickly wipe away her tears during the negotiation with that human.
If she was to do that, it would not only be extremely detrimental to their cause in the negotiation, it would... also bring shame upon the Blackwood Elves!
“Don’t worry. Mister Joshua... is not an evil person,” Gallolie didn’t know how to evaluate the Chaos Demon. After pondering for a bit, she added, “Furthermore, there’s one thing that’s certain – the Holy Church is Mister Joshua’s enemy!”
“That human views the Holy Church as his enemy?”
While waiting for Priestess Oranka to stabilize her emotions, Elder Safran decided to learn more about Joshua from Gallolie.
“Mmhmm. Please trust me, in terms of being against the Holy Church, Mister Joshua will definitely stand on the same side as the Blackwood Elves.”
The feeble sobbing voice Gallolie had after she finished watching the movie had disappeared completely. She knew that they’ve not come to Norland for the sake of watching the premiere of a new movie.
More than that... it was for the sake of vengeance against the Nation of the Holy Church.
“Is that so? Let us hope that it will be as the Daughter of the Forest said,” Elder Safran glanced to the priestess next to him.
“Orakna, this negotiation, allow me...”
“My mentality is not that weak. Please open the door. That movie is no longer able to affect my state of mind,” Priestess Oranka replied with an expressionless look.
This negotiation could very possibly affect the rise and fall of their Blackwood Elves.
“May the Holy Tree Narushi guide us.”
With this, Gallolie pushed open the door to the study.
The moment they walked into the study, the soundtrack to ‘Hachiko’ resounded through the entire room. But, Oranka’s heart remained completely unwavered. Her eyes looked to Joshua seated at the back of the study.
“It’s my honor...”
Priestess Oranka looked at Joshua. She was planning to courteously greet the human according to the etiquette of the Blackwood Elves when she suddenly heard a dog’s bark.
It was no misperception. Priestess Oranka saw a yellow field hound running out from beneath the desk. Wagging its tail, the dog leaped to Gallolie.
At this moment, Priestess Oranka was unable to control herself. Her vision started growing fuzzy.