(20) Cana's Mission

Chapter 20: Cana's Mission

Leaving the guild, Cana led Silver to the Magnolia train station.

The trains here, more accurately called "rail trains," were quite different from the ones Silver remembered from his previous life.

These trains were powered by magic.

This world, being a high-magic one, had an incredibly high prevalence of magic. Magical items were sold as everyday commodities, and magic was integral to nearly every aspect of daily life.

Once they boarded the train, they found themselves in an old-fashioned hard-seat carriage.

After finding an empty seat and settling in, Silver turned to Cana to inquire about the specifics of their mission.

"This mission is really simple—it's just about a rich guy getting married," Cana explained with a cheerful smile as she handed Silver the mission request form.

"Huh? What does a rich person's wedding have to do with our mission?" Silver asked, confused, as he took the request form from Cana.

"Our job is to perform at the banquet to liven up the atmosphere. Don't worry about the performance itself; I'll take care of that. You just need to assist me during the performance," Cana explained nonchalantly, noticing Silver's puzzled expression.

"Oh, I see." Silver quickly understood. Normally, commoners wouldn't hire mages to perform at their events.

Only the wealthy or nobles indulged in such luxuries. He had heard about this before, but Cana's explanation refreshed his memory. Curious, he asked, "So, how exactly am I supposed to assist you? What do I need to do?"

Silver was familiar with the concept of performing at events.

During the annual harvest festival, the guild organized a parade and celebrations.

People from Magnolia, nearby towns, and even distant regions on the continent came to participate.

During the last festival, Silver had also participated, creating a five-meter-wide, three-meter-high giant animated display that was a big hit with the children.

However, weddings were a different matter, and he wasn't sure what kind of performance was expected.

"It depends on the situation," Cana said after some thought. "Just follow my lead when the time comes. I'm experienced with these things, so I'll let you know what to do."

"Alright, I'll leave it to you," Silver replied. He then carefully read through the mission request form again to make sure he hadn't missed anything before handing it back to Cana.

Half an hour passed quickly, and the two got off the train at a small town where their client was located.

Stepping out of the station, they were greeted by a bustling square filled with people. In the distance, clean streets were lined with white-walled, red-roofed houses arranged in neat rows.

After navigating a few turns, they reached the town's commercial street. The area was teeming with people, and the lively atmosphere was filled with vendors calling out their wares.

From the attire of the townspeople, it was clear that this town's economic level rivaled that of major cities, far surpassing the average small town on the continent.

"Excuse me, do you know how to get to the Colt family's residence?" Cana politely asked a couple she stopped on the street.

"The Colt family? Are you referring to the one getting married soon?" the couple asked after thinking for a moment. They turned and pointed to a direction. "If so, you need to cross the town. On the outskirts, there's a small hill, and on top of it is a castle. That's where the Colt family lives."

"Are there many people named Colt in this town?" Silver asked curiously as they were about to leave.

"Yes, quite a few," the couple replied, nodding. "Originally, all the Colts in this town were from the same family. However, the family has a strict rule: only one heir per generation inherits the family estate. The rest are sent out to start their own households. Over just a few generations, there are now over ten families with the Colt surname in this town."

"What a strange rule," Cana remarked as they thanked the couple and continued toward their destination. "I've never heard of such a thing before."

"It's not that strange," Silver replied, unfazed.

"Why not? Don't you think it's odd?" Cana asked, turning to Silver with a puzzled expression.

"I think the Colt family might be doing this to spread out their members as much as possible. Large families often face internal conflicts, and if a disaster were to strike that affects the entire family, this method ensures the Colt family as a whole wouldn't be wiped out," Silver speculated.

As they talked, the two had already reached the outskirts of the town. In the distance, atop a small hill about 30 meters high, stood a castle perched at its peak.

At the castle gates, people were busily coming and going, creating a lively and bustling scene.

"The person who built this castle must have been a die-hard fan of knightly castles," Silver remarked with a chuckle as he gazed at the distant structure.

When they arrived at the castle gates, they were greeted by the Colt family's butler. The butler, an elder in his fifties, notably shared the Colt surname.

After leading them into the castle, the butler addressed them politely, "The young master's wedding is in three days. The time before the wedding is for your preparation."

"If you need anything, feel free to tell me, and I will make arrangements as quickly as possible."

"Since the guests will include prominent figures from major families and important business partners of the Colt family, our only request is that you prepare a performance that is both abundant and captivating."

"Don't worry, I've completed plenty of similar tasks. I'm very experienced in this," Cana replied confidently, flashing a reassuring smile.

"Very well," the butler replied with a neutral nod. He then showed them to their prepared rooms before departing.

Once the butler left, Cana jumped onto the bed, sprawling out in a star shape and bouncing twice.

Meanwhile, Silver, slightly nervous, sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Cana, what do we do now?"

Completely unbothered, Cana replied, "It's simple. We just need to prepare some performances. If all else fails, we can use your storytelling, paired with animated visuals, to get the job done."

"Are you sure that will be enough?" Silver asked, his brows furrowing slightly at Cana's carefree attitude.

"Relax," Cana said with a grin. "At big family wedding banquets like this, most attendees don't actually care about our performance. Their main purpose for being here is to build connections. Our real audience will be the children they bring along. As long as the kids are entertained, we'll be fine."

Hearing this, Silver suddenly understood.

If their task was just to entertain children, it wouldn't be a problem.

Over the past year, he and Cana had regularly visited the orphanage to tell stories to the kids there.

That experience had honed his ability to engage children of all personalities.

"So, how does this compare to what you imagined?"

Cana teased, noticing Silver's expression relax.

She continued with a playful grin, "Honestly, compared to performing in a theater, these events are far less demanding. But there's one thing that's more important here than in a theater: creating a lively atmosphere. So, the key isn't how polished your performance is but whether it can evoke emotions and engage the audience…"