It has been five days since the performance began. Finally, the gates of Podalap Palace opened.
Following Nuru Buchi’s guidance, I took in the scenery inside Podalap Palace. It was an ordinary building, lacking anything particularly captivating, aside from sporadically placed Buddhist decorations and scriptures.
Had the news of my arrival spread? I encountered numerous practitioners pretending to casually walk by while observing me.
There was an unmistakable excitement in the eyes of the practitioners I bumped into. Hmmm, I don’t know how this will unfold, but I might have to put on a performance for the practitioners.
“Benefactor, I hope everything goes smoothly.”
Now, a slightly familiar Nuru Buchi spoke up.
“I hope so too.”
“The Lord of the Palace might impose strict conditions, but I hope you will consider it.”
“Of course.”
As Nuru Buchi guided me to the Family Head’s Quarters, he chatted away about this and that. To summarize, he said that even if the Lady of the Palace acts all fussy, the rewards from Podalap Palace would be substantial, so just bear with it while thinking about the money.
Well, I suppose as a father with a sick daughter, he must be on edge. Knowing the situation already, I simply nodded.
“Greetings, I am Rano Jingbu, the current Lady of Podalap Palace.”
“I am Ho Cheon-an, a traveling magician.”
Rano Jingbu’s first impression was truly that of a sturdy and stern martial artist. Although his muscles weren’t bulging, it was evident that his body was trained from intense practice. His face was like rock, and the wrinkles on his brow, combined with his piercing gaze, had a way of intimidating people.
“I called you here to witness your talents at Podalap Palace. If you can meet the conditions of the performance, I will provide a generous reward.”
Rano Jingbu hurriedly got to the point.
He didn’t ask where I was from, or what my background was, or what being a magician entailed. There were no inquiries about my skills or negotiations over compensation. He completely bypassed all those formalities to immediately state what he wanted.
“What are the conditions?”
“I have a sick daughter.”
Rano Jingbu’s story was quite surprising. To be precise, the measures he had taken for his sick daughter were what left me astonished.
“It’s impressive to hear you are maintaining strict hygiene for your daughter with weakened immunity.”
From what I gathered, he seemed to be enforcing very rigorous hygiene measures to protect his daughter. It was clear that substantial efforts were being made to ward off germs.
What could possibly possess someone so dedicated to hygiene to allow an outsider inside?
That thought flitted through my mind.
“Yes, the physicians tending to Sara’s illness will thoroughly investigate if magicians or tools carry any strange energy.”
“I understand. I too do not wish to harm the child.”
The verbal agreement progressed smoothly. Rano Jingbu prioritized his daughter’s well-being first, and my goal was simply the performance itself, so there was no room for conflict.
“Ah.”
Nima Galchen nodded approvingly.
To be honest, I simply agreed to everything he said.
If I were truly the head of a wandering circus, no matter how much money I’d be offered, I wouldn’t have agreed to such conditions.
The original aim of swaying Podalap Palace aside, the profits generated from the magic show were enormous. Honestly, I thought I’d be lucky just to cover the costs of hiring workers and materials for magical props, yet it turned out we were raking in unexpected riches.
Once the performance is over, it would amount to a veritable mountain of coins. Our assisting merchants were astonished at the amount of money we were gathering.
It was a peak time for earning, and no matter how much money was offered, who would be willing to take a gamble on such fussy conditions that could either succeed or fail?
Well, it could be possible from a career management perspective.
“Please negotiate the necessary matters with Sudalcha.”
“I understand.”
From the perspective of magician Ho Cheon-an, negotiating with Sudalcha felt far more significant than with Nima Galchen.
“I would like to perform all the magic I know.”
“But didn’t the Little Princess say she would be in her room? We can’t set up a stage inside, can we?”
“The smaller tricks can be showcased directly inside the room, while the larger ones could be set up outside the window.”
Ah, negotiating with a practical person isn’t difficult. Sudalcha wanted me to show all my magic to the Little Princess and thus began reviewing the problems that needed addressing.
“Given the location, I reckon we need to prepare here. However…”
“Shall we break through this wall?”
“In that case, we have a solution.”
How deep is their commitment to magic if they’re willing to renovate and repair a building? Anyway, having seen a few magic shows, it wasn’t hard to reach an agreement.
The performance date was set for three days later.
The day of reckoning was determined.
* *
The day of reckoning arrived.
The physicians, adhering to modern hygiene standards, nodded in approval as they examined the magical tools and our health, and we successfully entered Podalap Palace.
After greeting Lady Rano Jingbu and Sudalcha, we immediately got to work preparing for the performance.
There were some minor issues.
For instance, all of Tang So-yeol’s tobacco was confiscated, and there were minor problems with the makeshift stage after just three days, but they weren’t significant enough to hinder us from preparing for the performance. After losing his tobacco, Tang So-yeol wore a face full of displeasure while chewing on herbs for the escape trick.
I called our group together and spoke in a quiet voice, just loud enough not to reach the practitioners.
“Alright, everyone remembers the setting, right?”
The group nodded. As a final confirmation, I asked them various questions to ensure they remembered the established backstory. How we teamed up, where we’d traveled, and what kind of adventures we encountered, among other things.
Once the performance was over, we needed to transition smoothly into the next stage of our plan.
Okryong expressed concern.
“It seems the Lady of the Palace is quite stubborn; I worry whether she’ll really trust us, who seem like mere entertainers, to treat her daughter.”
“Hmmm.”
I felt a bit of worry arise at Okryong’s expression, though I was already committed.
“Given the situation has progressed better than initially planned, we’ll cautiously probe. If it doesn’t seem feasible, we can aim for a second chance.”
With Sudalcha’s active cooperation, a stage was set up inside Podalap Palace. Even if today didn’t go as planned, there was a foundation to earn a second or third chance. Therefore, there was no need to push things forcibly.
“So, you all just focus on the magic.”
The group nodded.
Looking at the rest of the group, excluding Tang So-yeol, I could see their demeanor was calm.
Showcasing magic among thousands of crowds was utterly trivial by comparison.
Hmm. Everyone’s become splendid magicians.
“Then I’ll go prepare. Please remain on standby.”
The outside stage magic would be performed by the group, while I intended to showcase simpler tricks up close with the Lord and Lady of the Palace.
Following the physicians’ guidance, I washed up and changed into clean attire. Once all preparations were complete, I waited for a bit until the Lord and Lady of the Palace appeared.
“Are you ready?”
As I looked at the nervous and anxious faces of Rano Jingbu and Chai-rang, I couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Absolutely.”
* *
Rano Sara thought.
Today, there were no cheers to be heard.
‘Could it be related to the construction happening nearby?’
For the past few days, sounds of materials dropping, hammering, and sawing had echoed around the residence. Then the roaring cheers she had heard lately had vanished completely.
The absence of cheers was due to Ho Cheon-an and his party discontinuing their external performance and entering Podalap Palace; however, Sara assumed it was because of the construction work.
‘It had been a sound full of festive joy.’
In her vague memories of childhood, it was a sound that could only be heard during festivals.
How joyful had it been for a noise to travel from Rasa to Podalap Palace?
She was curious.
Sara lay in bed, gazing at the window, the one she couldn’t even recall being opened.
She felt an urge to open the window and look outside, but knowing her weakened body could barely hold a glass of water meant her strength was futile against the sturdy, massive window.
She had already clandestinely tried while everyone was asleep.
Sara decided to refrain and endure it. Clearly, there was some minor commotion outside indicating her parents had arrived.
“Sara.”
“You’ve come, Mother. Father.”
Sara immediately noticed something odd about her parents’ demeanor. How should she describe it? A look of mingled anticipation and tension made Sara tilt her head in confusion.
“…Did you ask about the commotion outside before?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Some mysterious practitioners from the Central Plains are performing drarcious feats outside. The wonders are such that people from all of Rasa gathered to cheer, and that very sound wafted all the way here.”
“Wooow…”
Sara’s eyes sparkled.
The performers from the Central Plains wore exquisite clothing and hardly allowed the ground to darken at night. What kind of wonders could a Central Plains person showcase for the people of Rasa to cheer in such delight?
She was intrigued.
Rasa leaned closer to her parents.
“Do you know what kind of wonders those performers showed?”
“Unfortunately not.”
“Ah…”
Sara let out a small sigh of disappointment. Perhaps someone mimicked the Monkey King’s feats from the Journey to the West by plucking their hair to create clones, or maybe they were blowing moths from their mouths like Shao-jong. As she silently imagined, Sara’s heart sank.
Seeing the disappointed expression on Sara’s face, Chai-rang smiled softly.
“We also don’t know, which is why we invited that magician from the Central Plains directly.”
Sara perked up, glancing towards the entrance where a young man stood.
“Greetings, Little Princess.”
The young man waved his hand casually in greeting. Just as Sara instinctively lowered her head in respect.
Swoosh!
A multitude of flowers sprang forth from his hand. Sara’s eyes widened in astonishment as the flowers seemingly appeared from nowhere. The young man nonchalantly gathered the flowers and placed them on the desk beside Sara.
“I am Ho Cheon-an, a magician from the Central Plains.”
The moment Sara saw Ho Cheon-an’s face, she was instantly captivated by the magic he performed. As simple card tricks and cup tricks followed, she gasped in delight and her eyes sparkled with excitement. The Lord and Lady of the Palace observed Sara’s enthralled expression as she got lost in the magic.
‘I didn’t expect her to show such joy.’
“This guy is actually a magical squirrel!”
As Ho Cheon-an humorously pulled a squirrel card from his shoulder, Sara burst into delighted laughter. When more than ten squirrel cards returned to his waist, her mouth was agape in amazement.
Rano Jingbu etched Sara’s expression deeply into his heart. While he was focused solely on Sara, she tugged at his sleeve.
“Father, Father! Did you see that just now?”
“Oh, yes.”
“It’s truly amazing!”
“Haha, let’s have you join in the fun as well, my Lady… Let’s see. How about this? You may choose one of these cards.”
Ho Cheon-an skillfully brought Rano Jingbu into the act. The Lady of the Palace had no choice but to select one card.
“Alright, let’s place this red card on top.”
As Ho Cheon-an laid the card down, he immediately spread the cards out on the table.
“Now, Little Lady, shall we see if you can find that red card?”
“Hmmm.”
Rano Jingbu couldn’t sense any movement in Ho Cheon-an’s hands.
Thus, she rather helplessly sighed in exasperation.
It seemed too obvious that the top card was red.
If she picked the red card, wouldn’t that spoil the joy for Sara?
“Hurry, Father!”
Encouraged by Sara’s eagerness, Rano Jingbu reluctantly picked the top card and flipped it over.
“…?”
But it wasn’t red; it was blue.
“Ah, it seems you were incorrect.”
Ho Cheon-an picked up the bottom card and flipped all the cards over in a swift motion. Twelve distinctly colored cards appeared before them, and the red card was placed in the center.
What was this? I was tricked? Does the Peak Expert have such finesse that I couldn’t even notice?
In the midst of Rano Jingbu’s confusion, Ho Cheon-an continued his magic. After gathering the cards together, he placed the blue card that Rano Jingbu had picked at the top before laying the cards back down.
“Little Princess, I assume you’ll be able to find the card this time, right?”
“Hurry up, Father! I want to see the outcome!”
Rano Jingbu flipped over the top card. But once again, this time, it was the red card.
Sara watched her father’s bewildered expression through her amusement, bursting into laughter, while Ho Cheon-an flipped the cards over again. Yet, the blue card remained nestled in the middle.
From the card magic on, the Lord and Lady of the Palace, along with Sara, became completely immersed in the magic. The preconceived notion that this was mere sleight-of-hand from a Peak Expert was completely shattered.
For Sara, it was an almost dreamlike moment.
Hearing the cheers filled with joy, things she once thought were just stories became tangible realities. And this reality was far more fantastical, joyful, and entertaining than she had imagined.
“Ah…”
Sara let out a small gasp. Ho Cheon-an’s hands, which had seemed endless in their magic ability, suddenly came to a halt.
He politely bowed, retrieving his props. Watching his actions, Sara wore a disappointed expression.
“How did you find the performance?”
“Yes! Yes! I’ve truly never seen anything like this!”
Sara nodded continuously, her whole body buzzing with excitement. Ho Cheon-an was delighted to see her reaction.
“I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. Even though it wasn’t stage magic, I’m relieved you appreciated it.”
“Stage magic…?”
“Ah, yes. Stage magic involves larger-scale performances. I heard Rasa’s cheers reached all the way here, didn’t they?”
“Yes, just a bit, though.”
“Those cheers from the people of Rasa were all for the stage magic. It is magic that can only be performed on a larger stage, and it is far more mysterious and fun compared to the simpler tricks I can do with my hands.”
“Ah…”
Sara gazed at Ho Cheon-an with a hint of resentment as she imagined the stage magic. Just moments ago, she had felt like she was floating among the clouds, yet why did he have to inform her that such magic existed?
Especially since Sara couldn’t step outside this room.
She had no way of witnessing the stage magic that could only unfold outside.
If only she hadn’t known, today might have turned into the happiest day of her life.
“So then.”
Feeling the hint of dissatisfaction in Sara’s gaze, Ho Cheon-an moved towards the window.
“From now on, let’s take a look at it.”
Clank!
The window swung open, and Sara’s eyes widened.
The wall that should have been present outside was completely gone, revealing a stage ripe for magic performances and Okryong, holding rings and bowing.
“Magician from the Central Plains! I am Okryong!”
The grand stage magic began right before Sara’s eyes.
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