Chapter 77
‘Caution! Citizens of Norland! Demons have infiltrated this city!"
"Please be on the alert! Hidden behind the Weissenasche Threater’s ‘Beauty and the Demon’ is the demons’ conspiracy! The true identity of the female lead Belle is a lowly despicable demon!"
Joshua held the gospel from the Nation of the Holy Church’s missionaries. The gospel was printed in a very old-fashioned paper.
On the gospel were religious symbols of the Holy Church. The gospel’s upper portion contained the Holy Church’s teachings. As for the lower portions, it served to inform the truth behind the ‘Beauty and the Demon.’
Joshua had already anticipated for the Nation of the Holy Church to create a sensation after they realized Ynor’s true identity.
Originally, the Nation of the Holy Church does not possess much influence in Norland. Normally, no one would bother to read the gospels passed out by the missionaries.
But, it was different as this gospel contained information regarding ‘Beauty and the Demon’ as well as ‘Belle.’
While it was a different medium, the effect of the gospel was similar to those ‘Shocking! Actress blank actually...’ headlines found on earth.
The young mages and noble ladies of Norland were currently immersed in the popularity and craze brought forth by the movie ‘Beauty and the Demon.’ As such, they would most definitely pay close attention to any new development or information regarding ‘Beauty and the Demon.’
This was even more so with shocking news like ‘Belle is actually a demon.’ If this was earth, that would definitely be able to become the leading story for countless newspapers.
Reading the gospel, Joshua felt like he was seeing a newspaper in its embryonic form. While establishing a news firm was something he planned to do eventually, Joshua does not possess a suitable candidate to serve as the head editor for the time being.
That said, Joshua was the one in the advantageous position to call the shots. For the Church’s missionaries to suddenly put forth such a gospel to attempt to pressure him, they were gravely mistaken.
"Hyrlan, Ynor came back together with you, right?"
Ynor goes to the same magic university as Hyrlan. It’s just that Hyrlan was in more advanced classes than Ynor.
"Your Highness, I’m here."
Hearing Joshua calling for his name, the succubus walked out from behind Hyrlan.
After Ynor saw the gospel, he had been feeling restless the entire time. He was extremely afraid that the people around him would treat him like those Demon Realm’s high class succubi once they find out about his identity.
"Ynor, I think it is time for you to meet your fans."
Joshua tapped his table. The gospel had made the Church’s standpoint extremely clear. They did not make themselves out to be the demons’
"Meet... my fans?"
Ynor was able to understand what ‘fans’ meant. After all, he had met one such faithful fan of ‘Beauty and the Demon’ in his university. That would be Hyrland’s friend Sansa.
This girl from the Nation of the Holy Church actually did not show disdain for Ynor after finding out his identity. Instead, she befriended him like a normal person.
"You can think of it as a live performance of ‘Beauty and the Demon.’ During that time, you will be able to interact with the audience and answer their questions," explained Joshua.
"Didn’t you two exposed your identity? Is it really fine to reveal yourselves before all these people at a time like this?"
Before meeting Joshua, Ciri didn’t think too much about demons. She had thought that she would never encounter demons her entire life.
While there were a lot of mages in Norland that possess a neutral standpoint toward demons, humans still felt a much greater sense of rejection toward demons that lived in a different world and the barbarous and nomadic beastmen. This was different from the dwarves and elves that humans welcomed.
To push Ynor before the humans at a time like this? What difference would it be from pushing an innocent little sheep before a bunch of wolves?
"Exposed? I think not yet. Generally, people will only believe in things they see themselves. I merely need to present to everyone the real Belle. Whether or not they believed Belle to be a demon will be up to them."
There was no reason for Joshua to fear the missionaries"slander.’ After all, he was still the one who holds the position to call the shots.
Intrinsically, fans were more inclined toward their admired actors or actresses. Joshua believed that there would be a lot of people that were more willing to believe Belle to be an innocent, pure and kindhearted countryside girl and the Church was trying to tarnish Belle to be a treacherous and deceitful demon!
"Thus, Ynor, you merely need to properly play the role of Belle during the meet and greet. If the Church insisted on you being a demon, directly refuse to acknowledge it to be true. In a place like Norland, not many people would believe those missionaries!"
Joshua does not believe the Church would be able to provide any concrete evidence. They would only be able to capture Ynor and parade him in a cage around the street. But, something as tyrannical as that would not be allowed in Norland.
Furthermore, if it did happen, the dwarves will most likely be enraged. They will most definitely rush to the Nation of the Holy Church’s chapel in Norland to destroy it.
"This... wouldn’t it be lying then?"
Having received the education from the magic university, Hyrlan was unable to accept this sort of... somewhat shameless behavior. What Joshua was proposing was a mass deceit.
"If a person doesn’t lie a couple times in their life, they wouldn’t really be living life."
Joshua refused to believe that no one had ever lied in this world. Furthermore, what Joshua was holding this time would be a meet and greet for the movie and not a meet and greet for the actress.
Ynor would be participating in the meet and greet as the character Belle...
In Joshua’s movie script, Belle was an ordinary girl. To tarnish this kind hearted girl to be a demon was simply something devoid of conscious.
"The people of the Church have always been promoting ideas that deceive the masses. They always say things like if one believes in the gods, one will be able to achieve gods’ protection. I’ve never seen the god that I believe in, the God of Order, Lloyd, come save me," said Ciri.
Joshua felt that the reason for that was most likely because Ciri’s belief was not strong enough...
Ciri’s attitude was also the attitude held by the majority of the mages of Norland — they viewed gods as an instrument that allowed them to utilize magic.
"Ynor, take these days to prepare yourself. I will reach out to Sir Weissenasche... and summon my devoted attendant over to this city."
Since Belle was going to appear on stage, the male lead for the movie, the Demon Prince, would naturally have to appear on stage too.
Joshua felt that this would be the perfect opportunity to create a happy ending stage play for ‘Beauty and the Demon.’ Merely that would be enough to attract a lot of fans to come over to watch. They will then began the meet and greet with the fans afterwards.
This was the first time Joshua used entertainment media to take on the Church and its tranditionall belief. Unfortunately for the Church, the history of Earth had already proven that, compared to an illusory belief, entertainment possess more of a real impact on people.