The sun had long since set over Grancel, yet the streets remained lively with chatter and movement. The royal capital of Liberl was always bustling, but tonight, an air of excitement surrounded the city's central plaza.
The Wandering Marionette Troupe had arrived.
Their puppet show, The Grand Requiem, had been the talk of the kingdom. Wherever they performed, audiences left in a daze—some moved to tears, others unable to recall key details of the performance. What had started as mere curiosity among the Bracer Guild soon became a serious concern.
Hell, even Princess Kloe of Liberl had gotten concerned about them. That is why she had approached two old friends about potentially checking out the show and finding out if their was any foul play involved with said show.
That was why Estelle and Joshua Bright now sat among the spectators, their eyes fixed on the grand stage. Their initial investigation in the show in Rolent had revealed little but they had uncovered that they were using the puppets that were given to them by another group, a cult-like organization that had recently been dismantled in Crossbell. Estelle and Joshua were eager to see if the show here in Grancel would reveal anymore about this troupe to them.
Soon the performance had begun.
The curtains rose to reveal a beautifully crafted stage, bathed in a dim, ethereal glow. The puppets—masterfully detailed marionettes—moved with an unnatural fluidity, as if guided by unseen hands rather than strings.
A haunting melody filled the air, played on an unfamiliar instrument. The story unfolded with chilling grace—tales of a forgotten kingdom, of rulers who had lost their way, of a tragic betrayal that led to ruin.
Estelle shivered.
The atmosphere was wrong and nothing like the show they had witnessed in Rolent. This was more sinister as she could feel herself getting lost in the performance, her mind almost being warped if it hadn't been for Joshua's voice shaking her out of the reverie.
Joshua leaned in, whispering so only she could hear. "Notice how quiet everyone is?"
Estelle glanced around. The audience sat completely still, their gazes locked onto the stage. Their expressions were blank, their breathing barely noticeable. It was as if they had fallen under a trance. Their was no movement, no applause, no emotion.
Just simply nothing.
"That's…" Estelle gulped. "That's not normal."
Joshua's golden eyes narrowed. "No. It's not."
For the next hour, the show continued, wrapping its invisible strings around the audience. Estelle continually felt it, too—a strange pull, as if something was trying to draw her in. But she gritted her teeth and fought against it.
By the time the final act concluded and the puppets took their bow, the audience erupted into applause. Tears streaked some faces, others smiled dreamily, lost in whatever emotions the show had stirred within them.
Estelle and Joshua, however, shared a single thought.
Something was very, very wrong with this troupe.
And they were going to find out what it was.
Later that night, after the crowd had dispersed, the two bracers made their way to the back of the theater. A few performers lingered, loading equipment onto a transport truck.
Joshua eyed them carefully. "Let's see if we can get a closer look."
Estelle nodded. "I'll take the direct approach. You handle the sneaky stuff."
Joshua smirked. "As always."
"Don't get caught." Estelle said to her boyfriend.
As Joshua slipped into the shadows, Estelle took a deep breath and approached one of the stagehands—a tall man with sharp features.
"Hey there!" she greeted cheerfully. "That was an amazing performance! I don't think I've ever seen puppets move like that before!"
The man blinked, then chuckled. "We get that a lot. Our troupe prides itself on its craft."
Estelle tilted her head. "You must use some crazy orbal tech for that kind of precision, huh?"
His smile faltered. "Ah… something like that."
Estelle's instincts flared. That was extremely suspicious.
Before she could press further, she caught a glimpse of movement behind the stage. Joshua. He gestured toward one of the carriages before disappearing again.
That was her cue.
"Well, thanks again! Hope to see you guys perform again soon!" she said with a grin before slipping away.
She met Joshua in a secluded alley moments later.
"Find anything?" she asked.
Joshua held up a small crate. "Orbal shipments. From Calvard."
Estelle frowned. "Smuggling?"
Joshua nodded. "And not just any smuggling—high-grade orbal components, the kind used in advanced communications and… mind-affecting devices."
Estelle's stomach sank. "That sounds like military tech. So that's how they're pulling this off."
It wasn't just an ordinary puppet show. They were using something to manipulate their audience, altering emotions and possibly even memories.
It had been rumored that this kind of technology was being developed in Calvard but Rocksmith always denied it.
But the real question was—why? Why was a ordinary troupe using this?
Joshua's expression darkened. "We need to find out who's behind this."
Estelle clenched her fists. "Then let's go pull some strings."
The duo wasted no time in tracking down the shipment's destination. The crate Joshua had found bore a partially scraped-off label, but enough of the markings remained for Joshua to recognize it.
"This symbol…" he murmured. "It's from one of Calvard's lesser-known orbal technology firms. The kind that deals in gray markets."
Estelle scowled. "So, they're getting their hands on illegal military tech. That explains how they're doing it, but we still don't know why."
Joshua nodded. "We need to follow their supply chain."
A distant noise made them both freeze.
Footsteps. Approaching fast.
"Damn," Estelle muttered. "Guess we overstayed our welcome."
A pair of masked figures emerged from the shadows, clad in dark uniforms. Neither spoke a word.
Joshua's hand went to his twin blades. "Looks like they were expecting eavesdroppers."
Estelle smirked, twirling her staff. "Well, I was hoping for a closer look at how they operate."
And so, the figures lunged as Estelle and Joshua prepared themselves for a fight.