episode_0028

“Oh, I know it sounds ridiculous! But this agenda should never be taken lightly! That person will definitely be an obstacle to our Demon Tribe’s plans… … !”

“A stumbling block? What stumbling block? Not even a sword or magic, just a pen?”

“That, that’s… … ”

In fact, the subordinate’s argument might have sounded quite funny.

I asked for a comprehensive analysis of the factors that caused the change in the situation, but what I got in return was nothing but nonsense that didn’t make sense?

“The candidate for the Warrior of the Pen has mastered ancient sorcery, has practiced the secret of brainwashing and controlling people’s minds, and has acquired the supernatural power to shake up the world with a single stroke of a pen through mysterious means… … ”

The Demon Lord coldly reprimanded the commander with his eyes wide open.

“You are busy just hiding in this cold and desolate land, preparing for the future of your race. You are making such a petty excuse and insulting me.”

“This is not an excuse! Don’t let your guard down because the name is funny! You should never underestimate the candidate for the warrior of the pen… … ”

“Immediately put the criminal in prison. We will hold him accountable for the defeat later.

“Your Majesty the Great! Trust me! The candidate for the hero of the pen! You must not underestimate his power-!!”

The legion commander screams as he is dragged away by the undead servants.

The great monarch, who was glaring at him, muttered in disbelief.

“You human bastards, you’re choosing all sorts of idiots as warrior candidates. Are they starting to lose their taste?”

“Wouldn’t it be better? That would mean that discipline in the South has become so lax. To the point where a warrior would do such absurd things.”

The answer of the servants who assist him from the side

In response, the Demon Lord grabbed the handle of the blazing throne and replied.

“There’s no need to worry about the warrior of the pen, Naburangi. How about the warrior of the sword candidate?”

“Are you talking about the half-elf woman? Don’t worry. She’s just been wandering around without a destination.”

A candidate for the Hero of the Sword, who is of the same generation as the candidate for the Hero of the Pen, Phantom.

Of course, it is also a warning to her outstanding skills that have not yet blossomed.

But there was another reason why the demons were paying attention to her movements.

“… … The movements of the Sword Warrior candidates must be closely observed.”

The Overlord rose from his burning throne and turned to the crystal standing behind him, adding:

“That woman is not normal. Is it because she is a dirty half-breed with blood from two races? They say she lacks something she should have, just like a mule.”

A dark red crystal boiling with the power of dark and evil blood magic.

He hammered nails in a serious tone, caressing the surface that was sloshing with an ominous substance of unknown identity and purpose.

“So, depending on the guidance of fate, I may willingly join hands with our demon tribe that pursues destruction and slaughter.”

“Baltasar Arture student? Aren’t you concentrating?”

Exactly!

“Evil!”

A playful slap accompanied by a brief remark.

I was in a daze for a moment and then I let out a small scream.

As soon as I turned my gaze, the person who had hit me with the hammer appeared right in front of me.

“No matter how boring the lecture is, what good is it if the student ignores the teacher’s teachings?”

Dark, deep purple hair reminiscent of violets.

Likewise, her purple eyes sparkle like amethyst.

A cross-eyed creature with one eye covered by a black blindfold, and earlobes that are much longer than those of a human.

It was Professor Gabi, an elven woman who taught at Bronde Academy.

“If you keep doing this, will you hurt the professor? You’ve been doing this since our first year, right? ”

“Jeol, Jeolseonghammi, Gyesu-nim.”

The professor playfully pulls on my cheek, so the word gets around.

Hahaha! The students’ boisterous laughter filled the classroom.

Professor Gabi finally took his hand off my cheek, looked around, and declared.

“Okay, I know you’re feeling sleepy right after lunch. But at least today isn’t a lecture, right? If you concentrate well, I’ll finish 10 minutes early, so everyone, cheer up.”

“Wow, Professor, you’re the best!”

“I love you, Gabi!”

“Huh, quiet. Then, shall we learn briefly about the elven art?”

The professor turns back to the blackboard and picks up the chalk with his left hand.

An ordinary person would write with his right hand, but this person could not do so.

Long ago, while fighting in a battlefield, my right arm was cut off.

Flutter, flutter!

Empty sleeves that flutter with the professor’s movements.

And the eye patch covering his left eye, which he lost when he was hit by shrapnel.

It would be a difficult obstacle for an ordinary person to overcome, but in contrast, the professor’s attitude was very lively and refreshing.

It is said to be the most interesting lecture in Bronde, so much so that the number of applicants skyrockets every day on the registration date.

Aren’t the students who were waging a war over grades just yesterday only smiling and having fun in Professor Gabi’s class?

“Okay. Pay attention. This is a landscape painting drawn by elves. It’s completely different from the painting style of humans, right?”

Professor Gabi showing the lecture materials he prepared.

He unfolded the rolled-up folding screen himself and explained it in an easy-to-understand way.

“Elf paintings tend to have a relatively sharp black-and-white contrast and emphasize harmony with natural landscapes. They also tend to prefer ink and rice paper (畵宣紙) as their painting materials rather than oil paints.”

Black and white contrast, harmony with nature, ink, Korean paper.

If a modern person heard this far, anyone would notice.

Surprisingly, the elves of this world were a race with an oriental culture.

Even the professor was wearing an outfit that reminded me of a female student from a martial arts novel.

And the class that Professor Gabi teaches is a liberal arts subject called {Eastern and Western Cultural Exchange between Elves and Humans}.

It was a golden opportunity to learn about the lifestyle of Eastern fantasy from the perspective of a Western fantasy alien.

‘So, I usually listen to it with a lot of fun.’

Oriental fantasy-style civilization taught by pretty elves? How can I resist this?

But now, I couldn’t help but let my thoughts wander elsewhere.

‘… … So how should I write my next work?’

A more primitive and fiery hero who puts action and romance at the forefront, rather than a sublime hero.

The number of candidates that fall into that category is rather large, which is a problem. Since anyone you choose will seem plausible, the problem only deepens.

What are the achievements of Achilles, who can be called the main character of the Trojan War?

Or the conquests of Alexander III, who created a vast empire spanning Eurasia?

Or the biography of Richard the Lionheart, who ruthlessly swept through the Muslim armies?

“Write. Why isn’t there anyone who really catches my eye?”

A word muttered softly so that no one around him could hear.

Thanks to the Philosopher’s Stone, the writing time itself has been dramatically shortened.

However, a brilliant idea is still essential to complete a piece.

An idea that is suitable for processing into a play, but also makes you feel like, ‘This is okay!’

That’s how I kept looking for a suitable person in my head.

“Okay, then this time let’s learn about the performing arts of the elven tradition. The play by the playwright Phantom is all the rage these days, right?”

Professor Gabi, who had finished explaining the painting style, opened his mouth while rolling up his folding screen.

“If you don’t watch Phantom’s work, you can’t have a conversation with the young people. That’s why I watch it carefully. Even if you’re an old elf, you have to communicate with our assistants, right? Right?”

Hahaha! Another burst of laughter.

The professor continued speaking, gesturing with his hand to put the child to sleep.

“Elf performances are quite different in style from human performances. They often use flashy choreography and exaggerated makeup, and often re-create the actors’ lines musically.”

“Musical reconstruction? What are you talking about?”

“Are you saying that you write your lines in a rhythmic way like poetry? That’s the same for humans too.”

The cadets all look puzzled.

It seems like the meaning isn’t completely clear just from hearing the rough explanation.

Professor Gabi smiled at this and cleared his throat.

Then she opened her mouth and demonstrated the ‘elf-style’ performance…

“Hey, what’s that?”

“Poohaha, that buzzing sound is weird! It’s like the sound of mosquito wings flapping. ”

“And the rhythm is too intense. Is that a song or a line?”

… … The students who were listening mostly frowned or burst into laughter.

A form of recitation that is more like a song melody than a dialogue. This is probably because the forced, fake voice is quite comical.

“Huh, huh?”

But unlike the students around me, I couldn’t react in such a cheerful way.

Because, in fact, I had seen that technique in my past life.

‘Isn’t that a Peking Opera style singing technique?’

A traditional Chinese opera that occupies a similar position to Pansori in Korea.

The professor demonstrated the skill, also known as ‘Beijing Opera’.

As a visual media enthusiast, I was indirectly exposed to art by watching classic films.

Even though they are an oriental race, they are still shocked by the completely unexpected results.

“Huh, what do you think? It’s quite different from the human way, right?”

Professor Gabi raises the corners of his mouth after showing off his singing skills.

She added slyly, bringing her good arm up to her face.

“But that’s not all, folks. When discussing elven theater, we can’t leave out this dazzling technique.”

Chomp!

A refreshing sound, like a crumpled piece of paper unfolding.

The next moment, exclamations of astonishment burst out from the cadets’ mouths one after another.

“Wow, what the?!”

“Is that magic? How did you do it?”

“This is totally amazing!”

Professor Gabi’s face, which had been uncovered until just a moment ago.

Suddenly, a mask made of colored paper appeared on top of it.

But the professor’s acrobatics weren’t over yet.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Huh?!”

“Wow, that’s amazing! I barely touched it, but the mask keeps changing?!”

“What is it, Professor? Are you really using magic?”

A mask that changes color every time you lightly touch your face.

From red mask to yellow mask, from black mask to green mask.

An extraordinary sight unfolded, as if the mask had teleported.

Although this is a different world where magical powers exist, magic itself is a rare talent that is hard to see on a regular basis.

Therefore, it is the same for these people to witness and cheer on the ingenious optical illusions and magic performances.

… … And I, who was watching this, was so shocked that I froze as if I was going to faint.

‘Isn’t that the Face Transformation Technique?’

A portion of the skills of Chuan opera, which is said to have originated from Sichuan Province in China.

It’s a kind of circus where you quickly change masks using hidden threads without touching them.

Of course, in Professor Gabi’s case, it seems like there was actually a bit of magic involved.

“What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?”

The professor said as he took off the blue mask he was wearing last.

“We decided to finish 10 minutes early, so that’s all for today. Next time, I’ll show you a more amazing and special elven culture. That’s it for now.”

“Wow-!!”

“Professor Gabi is the best!”

Professor Gabi greets us with elegance, like an actor on stage.

In response, thunderous applause erupts from the students.

And I too was applauding enthusiastically, while at the same time cheering inwardly.

An oriental technique demonstrated by Professor Gabi on two occasions.

After seeing that, I had a gut feeling about whose heroic epic I should write.

‘That’s right. It would be a shame to leave out this guy when discussing action and romance.’

Maninjijik, Pabuchimju, Yeokbalsangi Gaese, and Samyeonchoga, etc.

A martial artist who swept through the Central Plains with a single sword while producing all sorts of idioms during his lifetime.

And unlike his rivals, he is a romantic and pure-hearted man who only loves one woman.

“… … My defeat was due to heaven destroying me, not because I was not good at fighting!”

Mumble, mumble. I got up from my seat, reciting a famous saying(?) so that no one around me could hear.

A legendary man who, although defeated, was granted immortality through later adaptations and recreations.

The time has come to turn his dramatic life story into a play.

A few hours later, in the late afternoon, the sky was darkening.

After taking a hot bath, Gabi came out into the living room with a towel wrapped around her head and a robe on.

Exclusive accommodation provided in bulk to professors staying at Bronde Academy.

It was a cozy place that I had been using for over 10 years since I accepted the teaching position.

“Whew, that feels good.”

She muttered as she sat down at her desk, which was piled high with stationery.

A large number of postcards flew to me today.

The last task was to check the contents and organize them so that they were clearly visible.

And the letters that came to her were always of a similar kind.

A tax notice from the Empire, a message from the World Tree’s kin.

Even the secret confessions of feelings sent by several male students who have a crush on her.

… … But the news I had been eagerly awaiting for years never arrived.

‘That kid still hasn’t contacted me.’

A relationship that once involved a priestly vow, but unfortunately has now been broken off.

Gabi rubbed her forehead as she recalled the girl who had kicked out her teacher because of a disagreement.

“Haa, at least you shouldn’t be going around starving. I wonder if you can at least eat properly.”

Anyway, the letters that came today were no different from usual.

Gabi yawned as she sorted all the letters into miscellaneous items to be read later.

If the rest of it was like this, I was going to end it today and go to sleep.

But at that very moment.

An unusual letter buried in a pile of papers caught her eye.

“Hmm?”

A letter with a unique red sealing wax in the shape of a mask.

Gabi opened the seal, curious about the unfamiliar pattern she had never seen before.

Then he slowly began to read what was written inside.

“Request for expert advice on producing an Elven play… …from playwright Phantom?”