Chapter 32: Natasha
Janna hesitated for only a few seconds before decisively ticking the checkbox next to the character field for [Natasha].
"If we're talking about the core role in this audition, none fits better than the protagonist, Natasha."
After carefully folding and putting away the application form, and waiting briefly for a few minutes, Shuka Berg had the male attendant push open the ornate doors of the "Floral Rendezvous" private box.
"Let the first group of auditionees enter the room."
Wearing his signature bright smile with eight visible teeth, Shuka Berg guided the well-prepared first group of auditionees as they stood up from their chairs and walked in an orderly fashion to the waiting areas on either side inside the box.
The second group, which included Janna and had a later audition time, followed close behind with the intent of sizing up their competition.
After they entered, only two or three people remained in the main hall—those whose confidence was easily shaken and chose to linger a while longer.
“Bang——”
The heavy doors of the box slowly closed. Janna glanced around and found that the interior décor had changed entirely since the White Ballet Shoes Club’s banquet.
Opposite the entrance was a long elmwood table serving as the judges' panel. Behind the table sat four judges from the Nightingale Opera Troupe.
Among the four, aside from the familiar David Berg, another face also struck Janna as particularly familiar—that of the troupe’s most popular actress, Anna Moonshadow.
Anna Moonshadow was from Turin’s Moonshadow family and was Bell Moonshadow’s cousin.
However, unlike Bell’s distinctive half-elf features—dark skin and slightly pointed ears—Anna looked entirely human in both complexion and ears.
But unlike Bell’s androgynous features, Anna had tanned skin, fine black eyebrows, and fox-like upturned eyes, giving her a captivatingly beautiful face full of allure.
The only drawback was her height—nearly 1.85 meters—which severely limited the range of roles she could play.
Despite her curvaceous figure, her towering presence often disrupted the audience’s immersion in romantic operas, where she stood nearly eye-to-eye with her male co-stars.
However, this height made her a perfect fit for the adult version of Natasha in Bloodshadow Rose, who galloped across the battlefield.
After all, as a "Rose of the Sword" who spent years disguising herself as a man without being discovered, a tall and sturdy physique only made her portrayal more convincing.
The other two judges included a man around forty years old with a medium build and well-kept beard, and a younger man in his mid-twenties who, while plain-looking, wore a gentle smile that easily endeared him to others.
“There are four judges for this audition. The first is the head of the Nightingale Opera Troupe, Roman Roland.”
At Shuka Berg’s introduction, Janna slightly raised an eyebrow.
“Same last name, huh.”
But in this world, it was common for non-noble wizards to share surnames—even full names weren’t unusual.
“The second is the director of Bloodshadow Rose, Klan Roland.”
As the kind-looking young man stood up and waved to the crowd, Janna realized that the most inconspicuous person among the four was, in fact, the director of the currently most popular play, Bloodshadow Rose.
“The third, David Berg, is both the deputy director and the author of Bloodshadow Rose.”
As David stood, many actors who knew him smiled in acknowledgment.
“The last, and surely someone known to everyone here—the lead actress of Bloodshadow Rose, Miss Anna Moonshadow.”
“Hello, everyone.”
When introduced, Anna Moonshadow rose with a smile, her voice magnetic and graceful as she greeted the crowd.
“She’s so beautiful! I absolutely adore her portrayal of Natasha! You have no idea—Miss Anna’s Natasha is even more charming than all the male actors here combined!”
Liji Silks, who was in the same group as Janna, sat beside her, eyes shining with excitement as she gushed over Anna Moonshadow.
“She really does sing opera incredibly well.”
While Liji was helping Janna catch up, she had once played Anna Moonshadow’s solo from Bloodshadow Rose using a sound stone.
That raspy yet powerful soprano, combined with the intense emotion in her lines, gave Janna—hearing local opera for the first time—an unprecedented artistic shock.
“If you heard her live, it’d be even more breathtaking! If only front-row tickets weren’t so expensive—I’d love to see Miss Anna perform up close…”
“Didn’t anyone record it with a memory stone?”
Seeing Liji’s fanatic expression, Janna couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh please, those pirated clips on the market are so blurry... And buying bootlegs is against Wizard Law!”
“Is that so? I’m not too familiar with wizard copyright law.”
In the wizarding world, intellectual property was protected fiercely, but Janna hadn’t expected artistic copyrights to be taken just as seriously… She genuinely respected that.
“Each auditionee has only five minutes. The evaluation focuses mainly on opera and performance… of course, if the judges decide to test more, that’s a different story. After all, the Nightingale Opera directors are infamous for adding scenes…”
“Shuka, enough chatter—let’s begin,”
David Berg, seated at the far left of the long table, cut him off at just the right time.
“Alright then, will the first auditionee from Group One please step forward and hand me your application.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a sweet-looking girl, around fourteen or fifteen and about Janna’s age, stood gracefully from the front row of the waiting area and walked to the center of the room, handing her application to Shuka Berg.
“Good morning, judges. My name is Ollie Berry. I’m auditioning for the role of young Natasha.”
“Ollie Berry… Are you a music-division apprentice?”
As he scanned the form handed over by Shuka, Roman Roland, seated at the center of the panel, raised his head to closely examine the girl before him.
“Yes, Mr. Roman Roland.”
“Alright. You may begin.”
“Understood.”
Despite her young age, Ollie Berry carried herself like a seasoned actor, showing not the slightest hint of stage fright.
“Senior Liji, do you know this girl?”
Seeing that the first auditionee was aiming for the same role as herself, Janna couldn’t help but feel a fire of competitiveness ignite in her eyes…