The Healing Solaris Cleric-Chapter 321: The City of Culture (1)

“So... you want to develop this new territory into a cultural city?”

“And hiring us is to shoot films and plays in the territory, and to raise actors and singers?”

As the two men asked with a look that showed they understood, Kai nodded. “That’s right. From now on, Haveros will become the only city of culture in MID Online where you can experience film, theater, dance, and music.”

“But developing a land this large will take an enormous amount of time and money...” Director Park Sang-Soo, no, Spielbucks, looked at the barren land with a worried expression.

“No matter how realistic it is, this is still a game. Construction wouldn’t take years here. Besides, I have dwarves under my command.”

“Dwarves? What’s that?”

“Hm. Think of them as craftsmen who are faster and more skilled than any carpenter you’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, then how long do you expect it will take to finish the facilities in this territory?” ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

“Two weeks of real time, which is about a month and a half in game time.”

“That’s fast!”

The two middle-aged men’s eyes sparkled as they showed deep interest in this exciting game. Of course, it wasn’t something that could be enjoyed freely just because it was fun.

“Then, all that’s left now is proof.”

“Huh? Proof of what?”

“What do you mean by that?”

To the two men who tilted their heads, Kai gave a look as if to ask why they were confused. “Just as I proved myself to you, don’t you think you also need to prove your abilities to me?”

“So...”

“You want to test us?”

After all, to enjoy this game, they needed to prove they had the skills. Though their pride was slightly wounded by Kai’s words, neither of them got angry.

Well, objectively speaking, I am a failed businessman.

How long has it even been since I held a megaphone after the investors cut ties with me?

Kai’s request was perfectly reasonable, and they weren’t amateurs. They were professionals. They accepted the need to prove their skills as something completely natural.

“Alright. What do you want me to shoot? A melodrama? Action? Or horror? Maybe a play?” Spielbucks, who had shown talent across a wide range of genres, exuded confidence.

At this, Kai handed him a script he had prepared in advance. “Yes, first, a play. And as for the genre... of course, it should be a story that can captivate both players and NPCs.”

“What is this?” Spielbucks blinked blankly as he looked at the script attached to the scenario.

The title written on the first page was simple—Sophia and Julio.

As he continued reading, Spielbucks let out an exclamation. “This is... a reimagined version of Romeo and Julio, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s a classic romance about a princess and prince from two empires, Ogon and Calderan, that can’t stand each other, falling in love. Naturally, the nobles will love it, and modern audiences will have no trouble accepting it emotionally.”

“Well, the script is solid for sure. It’s the kind of script that’s perfect for assessing a director’s skills.”

“I’m not a scriptwriter, so I only outlined the basic story. The details are up to you.”

“Of course, but...” Spielbucks slightly hesitated as he said cautiously, “Whether it’s film or theater, it’s not something one person can make. I’ll need a scriptwriter, lighting director, audio engineer, sound designer...”

“Just a moment please,” Kai firmly cut off what was bound to be a long list. “I don’t micromanage the people I hire. You’re the one holding the megaphone, so hire whoever you need as you see fit.”

“Th-then, about money...”

“Of course, I’ll be covering that out of my own pocket.”

At Kai’s reassuring words, Director Spielbucks looked moved and then grasped Kai’s hand tightly. “Leave it to me. I’ll do great! I’ll make the best romantic play you’ve ever seen!”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Finding an investor this generous and kind was harder than catching a star from the sky. Director Spielbucks realized this was one of those three chances said to come in a person’s life.

As Kai left behind Director Spielbucks and his eyes burning with passion, he approached PureCEO.

“You should get to work too.”

“Hmm... of course. But I’m just the head of an entertainment agency. I’m confident in scouting rookies, sure, but teaching acting or singing is a bit...”

“Can’t you just bring over all the former staff of Pure Entertainment?”

“C-can I really do that? But their salaries...”

“Of course, charge it to me. However, if your work turns out underwhelming in a month and a half, I’ll cut all support at that point.”

“Of course! I don’t intend to ask for help without having the ability to back it up.” PureCEO, who had felt sorry toward the employees who had suddenly lost their jobs due to his own shortcomings, showed a brightened expression.

“You both have a deadline of two weeks in real time, which is a month and a half in game time. I’m not asking for a finished product in that time. Just give me enough results to convince me that you’re worth continued support.”

“No need for long talk. A professional speaks through results, not words.”

“My team and I have worked together for over ten years. I’ll prove myself.”

The two middle-aged men, full of confidence, excused themselves for a moment and began using their phone apps.

“Hey, Gi-Cheol? Yeah, have you been well? Got any work lately? Actually, I’ve got something this time...”

“Chief Choi! Got some free time? Seeing you picked up before the second ring must mean you do have some time. Have you found a new job yet? Oh, not yet? In that case...”

Kai silently waited as the two men excitedly made calls.

If things go well, these two could become golden geese, so I shouldn’t treat them lightly.

His father and mother used to say that business was about dealing with people, and it all started with treating one’s own people well.

When the two men finally finished their calls, Kai reached out his hand and said, “Well then, shall we go?”

“Hm? Are we going somewhere again?”

“You need to meet the talents who might become this territory’s leading actors and singers.” Kai gave a big smile.

***

“Wow.”

“Wow.”

Spielbucks and PureCEO both let out gasps of awe at the same time.

Watching their reactions, Kai smiled and said, “Elves and merfolk are very good at singing, and they’re all handsome and pretty, too.”

Around twenty elves and merfolk stood in front of them now in Libertia. Their ages varied from young children to middle-aged individuals. All of them were people interested in acting or singing.

“Th-this is... this is cheating, isn’t it?”

“Perfect faces... If they’ve got even basic acting skills... this is huge.”

The two men looked at them with enchanted expressions.

After a moment, PureCEO said, “You mentioned it earlier, but let me ask again. Do you want to form idol groups?”

“For now, yes. I would like to form one male group and one female group.”

“I see. Then is it fine to hold a quick audition?”

“That’s exactly what this session is for.”

Kai divided the elves and merfolk based on their interests in acting, singing, or dancing. PureCEO and Spielbucks asked them questions seriously, had them briefly sing or act, and radiated the aura of seasoned professionals. After an audition that lasted eight hours, only a few were left smiling at the end.

“Hm. Their faces are stunning, but idols need to have natural talent above all.”

“That’s true.”

“So I’d like to start with these four and form a girl group. If they show results, I’ll move on to forming a boy group.”

“Sure. Luckily, they seem happy with it too.”

That was the moment a girl group was formed, made up of two mermaids and two elves.

On the other hand, Spielbucks selected just one male and one female actor.

When asked the reason, he answered in a tone that suggested it was obvious, “Of course, it’s important for actors to be good-looking. But if everyone, lead and supporting, looks too perfect, it actually reduces the focus of the audience. These two had the strongest acting skills among all the participants. No matter the play or film, they’ll carry the lead role well.”

“Ah, that does make sense.”

It was a comment that awakened Kai from his naive thought that simply having all the actors be pretty and handsome would be enough.

“Things are going to get busy. First, I need to find a composer to make a lively song for the girl group. And we’ll need a dorm for these four...”

“There’s an empty house in the territory. Use that for now.”

“Thanks!”

Kai’s determination to fully support the two was almost intimidating, and with such a strong investor backing them, the two middle-aged men began to stake everything on this project.

***

Time flew by like a beam of light. During that time, Kai didn’t go out hunting and instead took a break while training Blizzard and Mimic.

“That was good just now. But you’re still moving on instinct. You need to get better at reading moves, in case you ever have to fight an adventurer like me.”

“I will keep that in mind, Master.” Blizzard, answering humbly, was clad in a set of blue armor.

It was the Sea Dragon Set made by Camilla. Unlike the noble and elegant White Death Dragon Set, the Sea Dragon Set was designed to resemble a wild and passionate dragon. Because of that, Blizzard looked extremely powerful, and his build also appeared slightly larger.

Of course, it’s not just for show. He really is strong.

Now reaching level 360, Blizzard was at a level comparable to top-tier rankers.

I feel bad comparing them, but Mimic’s level is definitely far behind.

Mimic, whose level was relatively low, had just reached level 295. However, during its growth, Mimic had traveled all over with Kai and imitated countless monsters. At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Mimic a type of strategic weapon. Depending on how Kai chose to use it, it could outperform even Blizzard.

“Review the battle and rest.”

“Yes, Master.”

As Kai finished sparring with Blizzard and took a drink of water to rest, a notification rang.

[Helik: Waiting. Cal Rashya is here too. Looking forward to it. We’re gonna eat cotton candy too.]

“She’s really excited.”

Today was the day the completed City of Culture would finally be revealed to the world.

Kai, who had watched the creation of the city from start to finish, naturally felt a deep sense of emotion.

“It’s basically like creating a whole new territory.”

The few existing residents were relocated to the nearby Rozan territory and provided with settlement funds. After that, Kai wiped out everything in Haveros except for the city walls and rebuilt it from the ground up. No, even the walls were newly restored and polished until they shined. On top of that, the formerly dull gray walls were replaced with a fancy and luxurious light beige.

“They must be really looking forward to it by now, so I should get going.”

Before witnessing Haveros’s stunning transformation, he had to go escort the cute girls.