(MC POV)

I'm being followed huh?

??

I don't sense any malice from them but it may just be my senses degrading after my body regressed in age.

Well, it's not like I'm completely defenseless if they decide to actually attack me, so I guess I'll just leave them alone for now. For all I know, they may belong to some kind of group around here that likes to follow little boys around and watch them or something.

Creepy, but harmless, probably.

I'd feel bad if I accidentally attacked some people who the past me might have known in his childhood.

Speaking of which…

Has the town always been like this?

This town is basically a cosplayer's paradise.

Everyone in town is cosplaying something or someone, I really wonder what my sisters did to make this the norm?

I'm pretty sure something like this was not easy to transition into, people are normally quite resistant to change after all.

Not to mention the fact that Elaria had managed to both initiate and complete the rebuilding process of the entire town within just a few years, that was already a feat that shouldn't be possible in this place.

I don't think there are any Practitioners here either, so that means everything here was made using tools and manpower without the aid of Techniques.

I should definitely invest in the construction company in this town, an obvious choice that one.

Speaking of which…

I fished out the black card that Elaria had passed to me.

I realised that when viewed straight on, the surface was completely black. But when tilted and allowed to reflect a little light, the surface turns into a neon green colour,

The surface itself was completely smooth without any hint of indentations on it, making the material used to make the card a complete mystery to me.

It's light and flexible to a certain degree, but it seems completely resistant to scratches as my nails failed to leave a scratch on it no matter how hard I tried.

The material was definitely not plastic and neither does it feel metallic. If they had managed to create or find a new material in this world it'll definitely be a big deal.

I entertained the thought of it being one of the mythical metals of fantasy but I highly doubt it would be that convenient.

Like really, what were the chances of this being made with Luminite of all things?

I was rather hesitant to accept the card at first since I intend to invest into the businesses that catch my eye without my sisters knowledge, but I realised that my current form may make that venture slightly difficult.

I could probably make use of this card to at least convince them to take me seriously if it's as legit as what my little sister says, probably using the excuse that I was a distant relative stuck with a shota curse or something.

Why don't I wait until my body returns, you ask?

Never a better time than now.

Especially since most of them are still local businesses. Judging by my sister's ideas, the town would definitely be an important landmark that will be known throughout the continent in the future.

It'll be quite difficult for me to enter the scene at that time.

I guess the first thing I should do is information gathering... Find out what's popular around here and get an idea of what I can buy into for some nice, delicious passive income.

I waded slowly through what I presume to be the lunch time crowd, most of them not giving me a second glance because of my small stature.

Spotting a mass of orange tails, I slipped to the side of the crowd just in time to see Manami waving goodbye to another fox youkai.

As if they were polar opposites, the other fox youkai had short, white hair with equally white tails and ears. What surprised me the most was that she also had the same number of tails as Manami.

I didn't get the chance to call out to her before she pushed her way into the crowd, looking to be in a hurry to get somewhere.

I shrugged, the girls were probably being given a tour of the town or something. I wonder how they were handling the town's weirdness?

Looking up at the building Manami had came out from, I realised it was the biggest one that I've seen so far with the exception of the mansion.

At three stories high with a domed roof, the construct took up the entire section of the street it was built on.

A sign with the words 'Kizz An Ney May' was etched on top of the entrance. The fox that Manami waved at was standing below it, leaning against the doorway and looking out to the crowd.

Curious to what the place was, I approached the fox youkai intending to ask her about it.

I pulled at her sleeve, "Miss? May I ask--"

She took one look at me before grabbing my wrist, pulling me inside the building with her.

"You're really cutting it close, the audition's about to end you know? You're lucky I just so happen to be outside or you'll probably miss your chance!"

I was halfway down the corridor before I shook myself out of my confusion, "Well… I think you've got the wrong person?"

The fox youkai smiled at me, "Method acting huh? I see you're quite the serious one. I'm sure the others will definitely pick you over the amateurs we've been seeing so far, quite the disappointing bunch I must say. I'm sure you'll be flying in no time!"

Flying? What the hell is she talking about? Does she know about my real form or something?

I tried to stop her from pulling me but my current form barely has any strength to go against hers.

"No, no, no… You really got the wrong person! I just wanted to ask you what this place was! Besides, the only way I'll fly is probably being blown upwards while holding an umbrella!"

"And you're even a fan of the book? Yep, they're definitely picking you now!"

This person really isn't listening at all, huh?

Oh! Damn it!

It's definitely because this whole town is filled with chuunis and weird people that she thinks I'm one of them!

Oh well… At least I could make a guess from what she's said so far that this place is a theatre of sorts? Though I'm not sure what kind of play they will be putting up.

Entertainment is a big thing everywhere after all. Judging by how many different cosplays I've seen outside, the number of stories that have already been circulating should be quite a significant amount.

I guess I can use this misunderstanding to my advantage.

First, I'll just take part in whatever audition this is and try to get past it. I still have my acting experience from the other Planes when I had to pretend to be people who I was not to get out of trouble after all.

If I pass the audition, I'll just see what they have planned and judge for myself if they were good enough for me to sink my cash into. It should be easier to get information by posing as one of their staff.

And in the event that I don't pass, I'll just ask to see the person in charge and negotiate investment options with them, so no loss either way.

Ideally, the first choice would give me better insight on how their business is run, but it'll take up more time and effort on my part.

The second choice would be faster but since I'm a 'foreigner', I wouldn't know how they do their things here and I might just be taken advantage of.

Either way, both have their share of advantages and disadvantages, but I'm already used to making the best out of any situation anyway.

I followed the fox girl to their theatre hall which was big enough to accommodate at least three thousand people. I'm not even sure if the entire town had that big of a population in the first place?

She handed me a script, pointing towards a line of boys my 'age' that were queuing up below the stage. Most likely they were all awaiting their turn to audition since another was on stage right now.

I mouthed a word of thanks before joining the queue, quickly scanning through the script.

The first few words of the script were exactly the same as what I had said to her just now, no wonder she had the wrong idea.

Oh well, time to put my skills to the test! I'm sure these kids never had to act with their life on the line before, unlike me.

This might be easier than I thought.