"Are we really leaving ?"
The princess, dressed in a server's outfit, couldn't help but ask as she glanced back at the small tavern clattering with noise,
"Mr. Elijah hasn't run yet. If he stays there, he might..."
"Don't worry; he won't be in trouble."
After tossing Young Ha onto his shoulder and letting it settle, Leon replied while wiping soot sauce off the Black Goat's face with a rag taken from the restaurant,
"He's got someone looking out for him; he's much safer than us. Not to mention that those three sailors are just punching him, even if Master Wilde wanted, he'd come back lively even after being run over by a cruise ship."
What is all that about?
Without the resistance to the Anomalous Object provided by [Materialism], the princess was still the tavern waitress "Agatha" and naturally couldn't understand what Leon was talking about. However, when she thought of "Mr. Joseph's" usual nonsense and ramblings, she didn't probe further. Instead, she worriedly suggested,
"Mr. Joseph, there's a police station just around the corner on the next street. Could you please go and report to them? I'm worried about the tavern..."
"Nothing's going to happen to the tavern!"
After cleaning the sauce off the Black Goat, Leon tied it to his belt, then grabbed the princess's shoulders with both hands, speaking earnestly,
"Vi... Agatha, listen to me!"
Watching the princess's startled expression, Leon, who intended to help her escape, explained sincerely,
"What I'm about to tell you might sound unbelievable, but I can assure you, every word is true. You're not actually a tavern waitress, you're actually... huh?"
Suddenly sensing an inexplicable danger, Leon's hair stood on end, and he jerked his head up, spotting a transparent thread, several times thicker than before, silently descending from the sky and coming straight for the back of his head!
[The Drama King] had found him!
Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Leon didn't use the Holy Spirit pendant to attack the transparent threads. Instead, he controlled his tangible spirit power to form a large hand, swiftly pushing himself horizontally away, narrowly avoiding the descending thread.
But for someone possessing the power of the "Level Two Goat," evading the abilities of [The Drama King] wasn't so simple. The line, thicker than a grown man's thigh, burst instantly, transforming into nearly a hundred invisible threads that enveloped Leon, tightly binding every movable part of his body.
"Damn it! You dare ruin my play!"
Accompanied by an irate shout, as if a pause button had been pressed, the birds in the sky ceased flapping, the fresh and salty sea breeze halted, and the sound of waves lapping against the pier stopped abruptly, plunging the entire world into stillness.
Shortly after, "Master Wilde," wearing a sharp double-breasted white suit and topped with a matching hat, hobbled over with a cane and stood angrily in front of Leon.
This should be the embodiment of [The Drama King's] will, right?
With his entire body tightly bound by threads, only Leon's eyes could move. He rolled them to fixate on the enraged [Master of Drama].
According to his analysis, the body of this "Level Two Goat" Anomalous Object was this small seaside town itself... or rather, the theatrical world it constructed.
That's why the moment he entered, he grasped the intelligence related to [The Drama King]. To escape from the theatrical world it created, apart from relying on sheer strength, he could find the embodiment of [The Drama King's] will and try to shatter it, causing the world governed by its will to collapse prematurely.
Initially, he planned to lure out [The Drama King's] will and use the mental impact ability of the Holy Spirit pendant to heavily damage it. After all, creating such a vast world must consume a lot, and [The Drama King] might not have enough strength left to withstand the pendant's impact.
After gauging the intensity of [The Drama King's] will, Leon shook his head and clucked his tongue, wisely abandoning the idea of ramming it once.
This entity's will was overwhelmingly strong, as solid as a concrete wall. He really couldn't break through it, so he'd have to find another way.
"You... How can you still move?!"
Seeing Leon adorned with hundreds of threads yet able to shake his head and sigh, "Master Wilde" was slightly surprised. Just as he was about to add more threads, he noticed Leon merely twisting a few times, breaking all the lines with which he exerted full control, leaving none intact.
"I can move because I can be exempt from your control... Also, although it seems unlikely, I'd like to try negotiating with you."
Assessing his current methods and realizing he really had no means against [The Drama King], Leon, freed from the threads, pointed to the princess and sincerely proposed,
"If you let her and me leave and guarantee to release everyone trapped here after this play ends, I can help you..."
Before Leon could finish his proposal, [The Drama King] abruptly refused. He raised his cane, pointing at the princess, and sternly declared: