episode_0009

The next work, , written by the mysterious playwright, the Phantom, who hides his identity.

As with , the impact of that one play on the Holy Empire was enormous.

If resulted in a complete transformation of the imperial army, resulted in a complete transformation of the imperial politics.

Since the work’s premiere, the Empire’s politicians have been reminded of these words before making decisions.

‘What would Caesar have done?’

Caesar, an outstanding politician who never hid his own ambitions, but always tried to combine ambition and the public interest.

Impressed by his actions, imperial politicians began to follow in Caesar’s footsteps one by one.

Powerful politicians began to seriously discuss the welfare of the empire’s people.

Because that’s what the hero Caesar would have done.

The Imperial Diet gradually began to pay attention to improving the treatment of the military, which it had previously neglected.

Because that’s what the hero Caesar would have done.

The dukes and counts gradually began to treat their subordinates more leniently and compassionately.

Because that’s what the hero Caesar would have done.

Politics like Caesar, judgment like Caesar, action like Caesar.

Now Julius Caesar was no longer just a character in a play.

It has become a moral yardstick for all vested interests and a milestone that points them in the right direction.

… … However, not everyone viewed Caesar’s popularity favorably.

“Your Majesty, capture the playwright Phantom and interrogate him!”

“The script must have been written with nefarious intentions! Isn’t it obvious just by looking at the plot?”

Some of the courtiers expressed their discomfort with the development of the play.

In any case, it is true that the protagonist overthrew the system through a coup and became the supreme leader.

Of course, Phantom was also concerned about this and took appropriate measures.

Part of this is the intentional blaming of all the evils in the story on the Roman Republic.

Because the emphasis was on republicanism rather than a coup d’état, the expression was that a great dictator would overthrow the mean Senate and establish an empire.

But even this description was offensive enough to the courtiers who were sensitive to political debate.

“Your Majesty. Who can guarantee that another Caesar will not emerge after seeing this play?”

“Ban Julius Caesar! A dangerous play that instills in the hearts of the people the desire for a dirty coup!”

“That’s right! We must stop the show immediately and arrest the disloyal phantom!”

In fact, a series of remonstrances would have worked if it had been a few weeks ago.

Because the past emperor was a paranoid person who even hated his loyal subject, the Duke of Wenford, for no reason.

But the emperor after experiencing and was a completely different person.

No, rather, what was currently irritating him was not the depiction of the coup in the play.

“The founder of the empire also overthrew the corrupt republic through a just cause and opened the era of the empire.”

A gigantic throne made of glittering gold and black gems.

Emperor Henry frowned as he sat there looking down at his subjects.

“Are you trying to say that Emperor Shi Huang’s uprising was wrong? That it was a disloyal rebellion that brought down the republic? That it was just a dirty plot and a coup?”

“Oh, that… … ”

“Ah, ah, no! How can the gods be like that… … !”

This was also the reason why Phantom chose Caesar as the main character of his next work.

The Holy Empire ruled by Emperor Henry.

This too was a republic in the distant past.

Then, the founder of the royal family took power through a coup d’état and began the era of imperialism.

That is why the emperor did not see Julius Caesar as a propaganda play inciting rebellion.

Rather, it felt like a play praising the imperial family indirectly glorifying Emperor Shi Huang, the pioneer of the family.

“… … Well, even so.”

Knock. Emperor Heinrich said, nodding slightly.

“As the lords advised, we cannot completely ignore such a risk. It is true that the description of overthrowing the system is included explicitly.”

“That’s right! That’s what the people of the faith think… … ”

“Then.”

The emperor rose from his throne, cutting off the ministers who were trying to make excuses.

He made a bombshell declaration, mimicking the gestures of the dictator from the play Julius Caesar.

“If I were to become Caesar myself from today, there would be no problem. If I were to become a true symbol of a hero that no one could surpass.”

“… … What?”

“Are your ears blocked? His Majesty the Emperor is going to conduct a new coronation ceremony! Dressed in the costume of Emperor Octavianus, who appeared at the end of the performance!”

“Uh, uh… … ”

“And what’s more, from now on, you’re going to use the word ‘Caesar’ as a synonym for ‘Emperor’? If you do this, won’t you end up calling him ‘His Majesty Caesar’ instead of ‘His Majesty the Emperor’?”

Maurice delivers shocking news in a truly hilarious manner.

The guy grabbed my shoulders tightly and said with a chuckle.

“You crazy son of a bitch! You made all the Academy cadets cry as Admiral Lee, and now you’re going to change the imperial code as Julius Caesar! Where on earth does your potential end?”

“… … ”

“I thought the imperial family would be looking for you soon anyway? Since they’re using your creations as they are, they should at least give you a title that matches that. Maybe you’ll even get invited to an imperial banquet?”

No, that.

I don’t need titles, dinner invitations, and all that other annoying stuff, honestly.

‘I will settle the copyright fee with the sponsorship money that will make a lot of money, so please don’t look for me.’

No matter how much fun I had watching the play, it was like that.

A new coronation ceremony in the garb of a Roman emperor? With a laurel wreath on your head and a purple toga on your body?

And what? From now on, Caesar becomes a word meaning emperor?

I was speechless at the over-immersive class of this other world.

Of course, real-life emperors were also called Caesar.

The German Kaiser, the Polish Cesars, and the Russian Tsar all have their origins in Caesar.

But that’s a story about the world we originally lived in.

Who would have thought that the same thing would happen here just because of a single play?

“Well, doesn’t that mean he’s incredibly popular? Even more so than when Admiral Lee was around.”

Maurice patted my shoulder, grinning slyly.

“Why is it that the worst curse word among students these days is Brutus? They say that being treated as a traitor who stabbed Caesar is more insulting than being called a parent.”

“Huh.”

Even in the original world, Brutus was a figure who was synonymous with traitor, along with Judas Iscariot.

But because of the play I wrote, in this world, Caesar became the symbol of the emperor, and Brutus became the symbol of the traitor, and they gained immortal life. Oh my.

“Oh, right. Take this.”

That was when.

Maurice made a face as if he suddenly remembered something and put his hand in his bosom.

“What? A letter?”

“This is a letter from the Killigruger extreme. It looks like a giant fan letter addressed to you?”

Maurice is the only one in the world who knows the true identity of the playwright Phantom.

So now he’s kind of acting as an assistant for me.

One of his duties is to receive letters and other items sent to Phantom in a way that will not be exposed to the outside world.

Since he was the son of a Marquis, he had quite a few secret routes that would keep his identity from being revealed.

It must be a bothersome and inconvenient job, but Maurice doesn’t hate it; rather, he wants to be my assistant and is more impatient.

‘Isn’t it exciting and great to help a genius writer focus solely on writing?’

I think it’s similar to the feelings of Engels, who helped Marx with his life.

His intellectual, cool, and generous personality is quite similar to that of Engels in history.

“But who wrote this fan letter that it came written on such nice stationery? It smells so good from the surface.”

Not only does it have a nice fragrance, but the material is also soft and fluffy, making it truly an incredibly expensive paper.

I don’t know who sent it, but it was clear that it wasn’t from an ordinary family.

Even if you set it as low as possible, it could rise to the rank of Marquis, and if you set it as high, it could rise to the rank of Duke.

“I don’t know? I read it for verification, but the sender wasn’t written.”

“Really? Where… … It’s not that it’s not written, but it’s that he’s claiming to be an anonymous sender.”

The letters are written densely from top to bottom in a pretty font.

There was a lot of talk, but this fan, who, like me, kept his identity a secret, only wanted one thing.

‘Anyway, from now on, please give me a happy ending?’

It’s uncomfortable that both works end with the main character’s death.

My younger brother is also a huge fan of mine, and he said he was heartbroken when he saw Caesar’s death.

I have only one response to this.

“Just put it in the drawer.”

“So? Please answer that you will write the next work with a happy ending?”

“No. If you don’t want to see blood later, ignoring it is the best policy.”

It’s not that I don’t plan on writing a happy ending.

I too was starting to get tired of these stiff stories.

‘But we can’t have a happy ending because of that letter.’

There is a reason why real writers shout ‘Hunsu Van!’

You might get caught in a rat trap, and even if you don’t get that far, if you start granting requests from even one fan, the snowball will grow without end.

If everyone, including dogs and cows, flocks to the work and demands that their opinions be reflected in the work, will you be able to handle the aftermath?

If I ask why you didn’t reflect my opinion while reflecting his, what excuse would you give?

Besides, I am the kind of person who doesn’t reveal his identity even when a descendant of a ducal family comes to see me.

We have also reached a proper agreement with the Killigruger troupe about keeping their identities secret.

So, I had no interest in whoever wrote this.

What if it was a letter sent from the imperial family?

Otherwise, it’s just a fan’s wish.

“Huh, really? You didn’t even get a reply, did you?”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

As the escort knight bowed his head, the woman leaning back on the sofa in the splendid private room snorted softly and rested her chin on her hand in an elegant posture.

I thought you’d send me an answer though.

How can you just ignore me so unilaterally?

Of course, since it was a letter sent as an anonymous fan, I had no intention of being conscious of her authority.

Nevertheless, for her, who had lived her entire life unfamiliar with rejection, the result was quite a strange feeling.

“Your Majesty, if you wish, I will find out the identity of the playwright by any means necessary. If I mobilize the guards to interrogate the members of the Killigruger Troupe… … ”

“Okay. If you put unnecessary burdens on the person who will be responsible for the 100-year plan of the imperial literature, you will be useless. If you do not want to reveal your identity, please continue to be considerate of that.”

Huruk. Jun Pinjan, sipping on a cup of Ceylon tea with a subtle fragrance.

The woman smiled as she looked at the blazing fire.

“That’s funny, Phantom the Playwright.”

The more this happens, the more I want to welcome you in person.

I say this half out of curiosity and half out of a sense of excitement.

The name of the woman muttering to herself like that is Diana von Clausewitz.

She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Heinrich von Clausewitz and would one day rightfully inherit the throne.

“ Then I understand that we will stop trying to figure out the playwright’s identity. I think you should stop caring about the Phantom’s identity for now… … ”

“When did I ever say that? I said I had no intention of revealing my identity publicly.”

“Yes?”

Huruk. The princess takes another sip of Ceylon tea.

A bitter cynicism bloomed across her plump lips.

“But it doesn’t matter if I figure it out on my own and find out on my own, right? Besides, if I figure it out on my own, it’s up to me to tease him a little later.”

“Uh. Excuse me, Your Majesty? Are you upset because I didn’t reply… … ”

“Shut up.”

“Yep.”

The princess smiled cheekily and sealed the mouth of her attendant.

Diana von Clausewitz, the highest-ranking woman in the empire.

She was surprisingly more mischievous than she looked.

… … At the same time, I was secretly narrow-minded.