Chapter 967 967 The Real Attractions
As popular as the trade opportunities, and all the witch charm vendors, were during the day, the real party started once the sun went down and the shows started.
It was hard to see the lights and fireworks in the daytime, so the party ramped up when the sun went down. The vendors mostly packed up for the night, closing their stalls, but the food vendors were as busy as ever, and all the stages were packed.
"What is all this?" King Petros asked as the stages were being prepared for the first round of overnight shows.
"Oh, you're in for a treat. The first show of the night is a troupe of feline beastkin musical trapeze artists. They do their show in time with music and a light show, it's hugely popular." Wolfe explained.
Wolfe picked them both up on a platform of Gravity Magic to take a seat on the balcony of the spire restaurant, overlooking the show. Petros ordered wine, and laughed as the musicians put on an impromptu song and dance routine while the stage was being prepared.
"They're quite lively. We have shows and theatre in the auditorium, but this looks like something different." Petros noted.
Once the hanging strips of cloth, swings, chains and ladders were all set up, the music changed, and the crowd began to scream and cheer as the first of the catgirls went flying across the stage, having jumped from the edge of the rigging to grab a rope and swing across to her starting platform.
"They're insane." Petros gasped as he watched the agile dancers hurling themselves through the air in time with the music.
Wolfe smiled as he watched the carefully choreographed light show illuminate the fog that had been created on the stage.
"It's not as dangerous as it looks. We enchanted the stage to prevent hard falls. If they approach the ground too quickly, magic will slow them before they hit the ground." He explained.
King Petros looked impressed. "So, there's no magic assisting them?"
Petros chuckled at Wolfe calling anyone a youngster. "You don't count yourself among that?"
Wolfe laughed and pointed down below, where hanging out with the bodyguards and the Demon Princesses near a candy vendor.
"I'm already a married man, with a number of concubines, and multiple Pentacles worth of bonded witches and magical creatures." He explained.
"Pentacles?" Petros asked.
"Ah, I forgot that those aren't a thing in your world. Witches can bond in small groups of specifically five members. But a Magi can bond to those groups, and then they all share power. My power feeds their growth, their growth feeds mine. They can also call on each other's power in times of need, and with a close enough bond, they can even mentally communicate."
"And your brides and bodyguards are in a Pentacle, bonded to you? No wonder you have grown so quickly." King Petros realized.
"There are actually three Pentacles. One with my wives and close advisors, one with loyal supporters, and one with the Bodyguards and Princesses, other than the Succubi, who don't gain power that way."
King Petros blinked slowly. "So, you're saying that any of those fifteen anonymous women in this crowd could call on the power of a Saint at any moment?"
Wolfe made a noncommittal gesture. "To an extent. They can still only use so much power on their own, but if they work together, they can do spectacular things."
Petros sighed with relief. "The thought of a female Demon suddenly having the power and mana storage of a Saint was quite concerning, but it seems it's not that serious."
Wolfe laughed. "Oh, that part is real. All the bodyguards are already well into Rank Six, and with the benefits of the Pentacle and the mana they can draw from me, they can definitely reach Saint Rank power, and will have nearly unlimited mana."