Chapter 790: You Can't Recruit Her
The girls sang another song before they had a break which ended with everyone in the bar cheering for them enthusiastically.
As I said, they weren't that bad, but they clearly weren't the best. And of course, it goes without saying that their singing was not on par with Delmare's but was still above average in my opinion.
At least, I don't think I would be able to dance and sing as well as they did so that's something for them.
Once they left, the bar quickly returned back to normal as the patrons went back to talking amongst themselves while drinking and eating merrily.
Aeta turned to me and crossed her arms, "Do you see now?"
I decided to feign ignorance because this clearly looked like an Off-Worlder's idea and I wasn't sure if she was actually an Off-Worlder who managed to hide her Off-Worlder status… Or that there was an Off-Worlder involved in this.
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"See what? I don't get what Delmare has to do with this?" I asked.
She scowled, "I should have known someone like you wouldn't be able to see the opportunity of such a thing even if it was presented in front of you… What did you think you were watching earlier?"
"A group of girls dancing and singing? What about it?"
"Did you not realise that the entire bar was transfixed by their performance? Have you seen anything like this before?"
I shrugged, "It's just a performance, right? I've seen performances before. Sure, this one looked a little more flashy than the ones I've seen but so what?"
"So what? Are you really saying 'so what'? Have you actually seen a form of entertainment like this before?"
"Err… Girls dancing and singing to entertain a crowd? Kind of?"
"Not both at the same time right? It's either they would just stand still and sing or they would just concentrate on dancing."
I tried to remember if I've seen any in this World and realised that I haven't.
"That's true…" I conceded, trying to act like I was still unfamiliar with this concept. "But so what? It's just combining the two acts together, right?"
"You don't get it? This could be the next step in the entertainment industry!"
"I won't lie, I don't really care about that in the first place. But what does this have to do with me?"
She gestured to herself, "I am the manager of those girls."
Oh, so she really was the manager… But then…
I narrowed my eyes slightly, "You? How did you come up with this idea?"
She smirked, "You were thinking I was just an average student, didn't you? Were you even there during the opening ceremony?"
I suddenly realised who she was.
"You're one of the first year Special Class students. Your challenge was to defeat you in a popularity contest, right?"
She smirked, "So you were there. Yes I am, I was granted that position thanks to my proficiency with Hydromancy and also the fact that I have already started a successful company at this age."
I nodded in the direction of the stage, "And that company has something to do with that?"
"That's right. So to answer your question, I had an interest in music for some time but I realised that for the common folk, music and dances are something that they might enjoy from time to time but do not dedicate their attention to enjoy. They do not actually follow musicians or dancers outside of their performances and said performers are usually invisible to them even on the stage.
The only thing they would pay attention to is the music itself."
Ok… I don't really agree with that fully but I would say that's also because I have an idea of the entertainment industry in my old World that gives me that bias. So I'll just nod my head and go along with it.
She continued, "I was thinking how I could bring more attention and interest into this for the common folk when I walked into one of the clothing stores one day. Those clothes that you see there? I found a boutique shop that sold clothes like these. I was told they were dance clothes and the idea suddenly came to me where I could have them wear such eye-catching attire and perform in them too!"
Ah… Ahhhh…. I think I know where exactly she got them… And that shop belongs to an Off-Worlder who was trying to introduce the clothes from our old World here…
Those clothes were undoubtedly idol clothes and the Off-Worlder who made them definitely meant for them to be fetish clothes or something and never expected someone to get the idea to start an idol group because of that.
Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere else in this World, someone else was also doing this and maybe even had an idol recruitment agency or something.
Aeta then turned to face me, "That's why… Heh… You know where I'm going with this, don't you?"
I guess no point in acting dumb now so I just nodded, "You want to recruit Delmare to be part of this group too."
She nodded, "That's right. Her voice is absolutely divine and if I put her as the lead singer of this group, we wouldn't just be going from bar to bar, inn to inn or restaurant to restaurant to perform. We would even be performing in front of the King and Queen themselves! Do you know what an honour it would be to meet them?"
I had to do my best to keep a straight face and not tell her that I not only met them before, I also had sex with them…
I raised my finger, "But… Did you forget? I told you that Delmare isn't a Mahun… She's a mermaid…"
She clapped her hands together, "That's why she would be perfect as the lead singer for this group! Did you not hear the name?"
"Yes… The Siren Sisters right?"
I'm not gonna lie, I actually thought she changed the name after knowing about Delmare… But I guess that wasn't the case here.
She nodded, "She could be the lead singer while the others dance to her song! This would be perfect!"
I sighed, "Actually… I'm going to have to say that this wouldn't be a good idea."
She tilted her chin at me, "I knew it… You just want to keep her to yourself. You can't stand the thought that Delmare could be here with us, on the road to popularity and far beyond your reach. I'm the only one who can help her reach that height while you would be just holding her back."
I shook my head, "That's not it… There's a few problems with your idea which would doom this to fail."
She furrowed her brows but nodded, "Explain."
I raised up one finger, "First… Delmare has no interest in this. I would know because this used to be her dream. She wanted to sing in front of an audience before but now… Well… It would feel like bragging but she no longer feels that way and only wants to sing for me."
She snorted but said nothing, allowing me to continue.
My second finger went up, "The second is that your group here would be trying to advertise the dancing and singing as part of a package right? Putting Delmare there would already be destroying this image because she would not be able to dance and sing at the same time."
Her face hardened at that as she realised that what I said was true.
I raised up another finger, "Third… I can't say that I know your girls that well but I think I can safely say that if these girls who were your founding members knew that they would have to give up the limelight to a newcomer… I don't think they would take it that well. In fact, they might even band together to mistreat Delmare and that is something I will not be able to stand."
At this point, I could tell that the cogs were turning in her head as she slowly came to the realisation that her plan was indeed doomed.
Nevertheless, I raised up my fourth finger, "And lastly… This group would no longer be a dancing and singing group anymore… It would just be a phenomenal singer who was performing alongside backup dancers. Your group here would just turn into the very same ones that already exist outside.
In fact, I would even say that the backup dancers would be pulling down Delmare as well as it would take attention away from her singing which would lower the attractiveness of her performance."
That seemed to be the final blow for her as she slumped back into her chair and her eyes were staring at me but yet not seeing me at all.
I was just about to ask her if she was alright when the girls from the idol group appeared again, causing the bar to erupt in cheers once more.
"Everyone! Are you ready for the second part?!"
"Yeaaahhh!!"
"Then let's begin!!"
Ahh… I guess I'll have to wait till they finish before I can talk to her again…