episode_0012

“Senior Rosalind? Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I lost my mind for a moment.”

Rosaleen Wenford walking around the Academy grounds with Balthazar.

She suddenly came to her senses and raised her head at her junior’s call.

“What are you thinking so hard about? Is there something wrong?”

“No, I just have something to think about.”

Rosalind responded with a bright and cheerful smile and quietly put her luggage on her back.

Balthazar, who stays by his senior’s side to prevent sly men from getting involved.

Although he was a truly grateful and caring junior, he also had worries that he couldn’t tell others about.

‘Is what Diana said true?’

Could the playwright Phantom be one of the Brondt cadets?

The guess my close friend gave me at Blanc les Loises just wouldn’t leave my head.

The princess presented two reasons in total.

The first is the unique vocabulary revealed in Phantom’s script.

According to Diana’s observations, there was a set pattern to the words used by the Phantom writer.

It is none other than the sophisticated vocabulary that academy cadets learn to build their dignity as upper-class gentlemen and ladies.

The point is that many expressions that are not commonly used in daily life or social life, but must be used within Brondé, appear fragmented.

And the second reason is that the Phantom is deliberately hiding his identity.

If the Phantom was not a child of the upper class, there would be no reason for him to hide his identity.

If wealth and fame were your only goal as an artist, it would have been more beneficial to reveal your true self and receive attention.

However, the fact that he is so reluctant to have his identity revealed means that he likely does not want to be caught associating with lower-class actors.

When we combine these two possibilities, there is only one conclusion that can be reached.

‘That’s definitely true. Diana has always been smart.’

So who exactly is it?

Over the past few days, I have observed countless students with artistic talent and have had my doubts.

But there wasn’t a single person I could be certain was ‘this is the one!’

And when we couldn’t come to a clear conclusion,

“Balthazar?”

“What’s wrong, senior?”

“Maybe the Phantom writer is someone who has lost someone precious?”

“… …Suddenly?”

Rosalind let her imagination run wild.

“Somehow I feel that way. The sorrow of Admiral Lee who lost his mother during the war, and the sorrow of Caesar who lost his daughter during the Gallic expedition. It was a deep feeling that could not be expressed unless you had lost someone.”

The old mother who came to see Admiral Lee, who was serving in the army, died of illness.

Julia Caesaris, Caesar’s daughter, who died in childbirth.

Didn’t both roles show an incredible sensibility that made it hard to believe they were creating something out of nothing?

Rosalind could empathize with that sadness, even if no one else could.

She was also a daughter who almost lost her father, Sir William Wenford, in an unfortunate incident.

So, Rosalind’s final conclusion was this.

“Perhaps the author of Phantom had already lost his mother. It was because of that longing that he was able to vividly portray the loss of a mother or daughter. What do you think, Balthazar?”

“… … ”

“Balthazar? What’s wrong? You don’t look so good?”

“No, that… …but when I hear that your mother passed away, it feels a bit… … ”

“Huh? Why is that?”

Rosalind killed Balthazar’s mother, who was still alive and well, without knowing it.

She was making an innocent expression, not knowing where her junior’s drowsy expression was coming from.

“That, urgent! Urgent!”

Academy cadets running from the other side in a panic.

He started yelling so loudly that all the students nearby could hear.

“News on the new work of playwright Phantom! Premiering next Monday! This time, not at the Killigruger Private Theater, but at the Gelorusina Public Theater!”

Charlie Chaplin’s , localized into another world version, had an explosive impact on society.

However, the aftermath was not particularly grand or reformative.

Like in , it also encourages the soldiers’ courage.

There was nothing like the time of Julius Caesar to correct the minds of politicians.

Instead, Charlie Chaplin-style comedy brought about a much more fundamental and definitive change.

That was just laughter.

“Puhhic, keuhk… … !”

“Blue, big!”

“I’m in class. Please don’t make noise.”

The professor’s scolding as he drew elemental magic formulas on the blackboard.

Then the students who had raised their voices clenched their teeth and tried hard to suppress their laughter.

But those efforts were in vain.

“Phew!”

“Big! Hehehehe… … !”

This time, the same laughter erupted from another part of the classroom.

And the moment when everyone in the classroom intuitively realized what had caused their laughter.

“Hahaha!”

“Poohahaha! Ahahahaha!”

“Eek, huh, huh… … !”

The sacred place of learning was instantly transformed into a place of serial laughter.

Of course, there is no distinction between seniors and juniors, male and female students.

Even the professor who had been watching this with displeasure could not help but laugh as he was reminded of Chaplin’s comedy.

This was not a change confined to the academy alone.

All over the empire, people began to laugh.

Even the arch-enemies who had been fighting over who would kill them or save them until recently burst into explosive laughter at the sight of each other.

“Hahaha, I’m sorry about that time. I was too narrow-minded, wasn’t I?”

“Heh heh, no. I was the one who acted selfishly. I feel sorry too.”

“Mrs. Max. Take this potato and eat it. It’s my apology for my careless remark last time.”

“Thank you. Mrs. Hans, please take this turnip too. I was feeling bloated for no reason, so you must have had a hard time, right?”

There are no borders when it comes to laughter.

Laughter has the power to transcend generations, gender, personality, and status.

And at the center of all that laughter was, without a doubt, a mustachioed gentleman wearing a black hat and carrying a cane.

[Cheer up! Don’t say die! We’ll make it!]

‘Chaplin’, the main character who appears commonly in the series.

All he offers is not just a simple, hearty laugh.

At the same time, it comforted the people’s painful sorrows with delicate and warm descriptions.

Thanks to this, after a hard day, people have settled into a natural pleasure of going to Gelorusina Theater with their tickets in hand.

While watching , people cheered on an ordinary man’s challenge.

I cheered at the protagonist’s great success, which he solved cheerfully while watching .

While watching , we all drew an uncertain but hopeful picture of the future.

However, the one that exploded in popularity regardless of gender, age, or social status was .

[Those who spread hatred enslave us while liberating themselves! Now let us reconcile and fulfill the promise they made! Let us sing together to eradicate greed, hatred, and exclusion! Let us move forward together to create a world where common sense rules, where the advancement of magic and technology brings happiness to all!]

“Hahaha, you speak well!”

“Hey, young protagonist! Don’t recite your speech without breathing like last time, hahaha!”

, a revised version of Charlie Chaplin’s immortal masterpiece, .

The fact that it became so popular despite being based on a largely liberal work was, of course, thanks to Phantom’s skillful adaptation skills.

[So, in the name of His Majesty the Merciful Emperor, let us use that power! Let us achieve unity!]

Dictator ‘Hynkel’ is now Mayor Hynkel, who governs the virtual city of ‘Tomenia’.

The oppressed masses are now city dwellers who are being tossed around by an incompetent mayor.

The speeches that had called for struggle and liberation were now speeches calling for reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.

At the same time, the original story, which called for democracy, underwent some revisions and was changed to one where the people suffered because they elected an absurd and boastful leader due to the democratic act of voting.

Hinkel’s real-life model was Adolf Hitler, the dictator who was democratically elected by the German people.

Phantom, who knew this, cleverly reflected history and slightly twisted the subject.

Thanks to this, a sophisticated satirical play that maintained an appropriate level even by imperial standards was completed.

Anyone, regardless of whether they are commoners or nobles, can enjoy it without feeling overly uncomfortable.

“Haha, today was fun. See you tomorrow, you.”

“Okay. You bought it today, so I’ll buy you a drink tomorrow.”

“Hey, next time, how about we go on a family picnic? It would be nice to let the kids play too.”

After watching a comedy, surprisingly, people forget all the fatigue of the day.

The bad and resentful feelings we had for each other, and the resentment that had built up in our hearts, melted away.

The power to achieve harmony, as called for by the barber Chaplin, the main character of .

It was precisely this power that the playwright Phantom gifted to the people of the Empire.

… … Of course, that power had many side effects.

“That, that is, phew! This year’s defense budget approved by Congress!”

“There is a trend of barbarians appearing at the border… …! The Imperial Army’s weapon system to counter this! ”

“Hey, you! Can’t you speak properly? Do you think the state council is a joke?”

“Sorry, sorry, Your Majesty! I’m not doing this on purpose, but it’s the new book written by Phantom! There’s a scene where a hungry Big Jim mistakes Chaplin for a chicken and chases him, hahaha-!!”

“Damn it! I was barely holding back, but you insisted on mentioning it-!!”

Of course, in the public administration that handles imperial affairs.

Even in the discussion of state affairs, laughter began to erupt.

It was so bad that on some days, everyone gathered together and just laughed until the meeting ended.

Isn’t there an old saying that says, ‘laughter is contagious’?

The Phantom ended up unleashing a laughter plague upon the Empire.