episode_0029

“It’s nice to meet you, Phantom. It’s an honor to meet someone who’s so reclusive.”

“No, Professor. Actually, while I was planning my new work, I became interested in the culture of the elves. So I would like to try making my new work using the style of the East.”

“Huh, I see. So that’s why you invited me to such an expensive place?”

Horok! Professor Gabi sipping thick tea from a porcelain teacup.

The place where we are meeting is a restaurant built in the downtown area of the capital.

The interior, which resembled an inn that you would see in ancient East Asia, was very impressive.

This is a restaurant where elves who stay in the empire for some reason serve traditional world cuisine.

Of course, it would have been difficult for an ordinary academy cadet to open his wallet right away, but it didn’t matter to me.

‘Anyway, the money will be paid by this ring with the royal seal on it.’

A credit card presented to the great writer Phantom, saying that the palace would cover the cost of maintaining his dignity.

When I handed it over, the elf employees bowed and guided me to the room with the best view.

“A new work in the elven style. It’s quite an interesting idea, Phantom author.”

The professor, who was picking up frozen pork with chopsticks, furrowed his brows.

Omul omul. She asked, swallowing the well-seasoned pork.

“But you know that there is a big difference between the plays of elves and those of humans, right? Actors who are not familiar with the elven way of doing things will not be able to imitate it overnight.”

“That’s exactly why I called you, Professor. Aren’t you a person with the ability to specialize in all aspects of elven art?”

Professor Gabi is an elf who has lived for a full 200 years.

As a result, he was a jack of all trades when it came to his subject, arts and physical education.

If it’s swordsmanship, … if it’s drawing, it’s drawing, if it’s composition, it’s composition.

Because he was an entertainer at a level where it would be faster to find something he couldn’t do.

“I’ve put a lot of effort into this work. So I want to get all the help I can. Of course, I’ll use your talents, but if possible, I’ll also actively use your connections.”

While saying that, I quietly revealed the initial concept of , a work that is still being organized.

Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, shook China during the Chu-Han Conflict with only brute force.

A memo with some rough ideas on how to turn this into a play.

“It’s definitely fun, Phantom Author.”

The professor’s answer after skimming through the notes for a long time.

She looked at me, frowning at her upper eyebrows behind her blindfolded eyes.

“Correct me. This is beyond funny, and honestly, I’m impressed. You seem to know more about elves than you do. This is the first time I’ve seen a human understand Eastern culture this well.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Actually, there was a genre in mind when I first decided on the elven opera concept.

, , , , etc. These are Taiwanese/Hong Kong martial arts films that dominated the mid-to-late 20th century.

Although the motif was taken from Peking Opera, the reason it actually recalled classic films filled with flashy martial arts and wire action was quite simple.

In fact, when the early martial arts film genre was born, a large number of Peking Opera actors who were familiar with acrobatics and martial arts participated and laid the foundation for it… …

‘… …Honestly, Xiang Yu’s life itself is no different from a martial arts novel.’

The invincible martial arts represented by the universal.

A revenge plot where one draws a sword to avenge a fallen nation.

A similar relationship between a rich man and the reclusive sage, Fan Zeng.

And even the sad romance with Woo-hee that ended in tragedy.

Seriously, if this isn’t wuxia, then what is?

‘I guess they’re going all-in on Orientalism like they did in the days of Admiral Lee anyway.’

I decided to make up my mind and bring a Hong Kong martial arts film to life on stage.

For the people of this world who are steeped in conventional and stiff chivalric literature, the martial arts genre will return as a fresh and thrilling stimulus.

“Okay. Since you know so much about elves, I guess it wouldn’t be right to refuse your request.”

The professor smiled as he handed back the crumpled note.

“It seems like a new work that puts a special emphasis on action, so extreme stunts are a must, right? I’ll introduce you to an elven acrobatic troupe currently staying in the capital. They specialize in body stunts, so you can have them take charge of that part.”

“I would appreciate it if you could do that.”

“However, it is difficult to implement the elf style as it is. Human actors will not be able to adapt in a short period of time, and human audiences may also feel resistance to the unprecedented technique.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fully aware of it.”

Unnecessarily unfamiliar objects tend to arouse physiological disgust rather than curiosity.

We plan to gradually coordinate with Professor Gabi to modify, delete, or purify any elements that might offend the human audience.

A unique singing technique of Peking Opera.

Makeup that was so thick it was uncomfortable to look at.

The choreography is so dynamic that it feels distracting, etc. It’s all the same.

That way, we can present to the people of the empire a work that is fresh yet has a somewhat familiar taste.

“And there’s one more problem, author. So this is about elves waging war? With the fictional countries built around the World Tree as the background?”

“That’s right. Is there something wrong?”

Since we decided on a Hong Kong-style martial arts film as the concept, we unified the races into elves.

The overlord Xiang Yu is an elf, his rival Duke Liu Bang is also an elf, and all the other characters are the same.

It’s much better both in terms of the mystical visuals and the reality of the concept.

“Aha, Professor? Is it because of the problem of hiring an elf actor? If that’s the case, you don’t have to worry about it.”

To cover this part, was going to be produced under a contract with the Gelorusina Theater Company.

Since it was an entertainment-only theater company, there were quite a few slender and handsome actors, and thanks to that, they all had the right level of appearance to be made into handsome elf makeup.

There haven’t been any additional contracts other than so far, but if you give me the script for , even Isabella, the theater company manager, would be thrilled.

“No. As for the race, just make a human actor look like an elf. I know that. If you put on the right amount of makeup and make the ears pointy, the audience will like it.”

Then the professor nodded his head and explained.

“But there’s a more important question. If it’s a war drama with action as the main theme, what would you do with the main character of Farewell My Concubine?”

“The main character?”

“In terms of composition, the main character has to be at the center of every battle, right? Then it would be difficult to just grab any human actor and have them act. If they have never learned martial arts, they won’t be able to properly portray the role.”

“Then, while we’re on the subject, why don’t we ask the elf acrobats to do it for us? If it’s about performing flashy actions, they’ll do it… … ”

“It’s difficult. Acrobats are talented, not actors. Even if they are good at performing tricks, they can’t portray the given role vividly. Let alone being the main character who leads the play, it’s impossible.”

“That’s right?”

I unconsciously overlooked that, but that part is a bit tricky.

The veteran lead actors were prepared as if it were a given when preparing for previous works.

However, this time, because there were so many requirements, the issue suddenly came up.

But if there is no one to take on the role of Hang-woo, then it’s all a mess, right?

If you ask Gelorushina to do it, she probably wouldn’t have trained properly in martial arts.

… … Should I postpone production and start with the actors’ action lessons? But then again, time will be wasted.

“Hmm, you said you wanted help from my connections too, right?”

At that moment, Professor Gabi, who was tapping the table with his index finger, made a suggestion.

“If it’s okay if they’re not professional actors, I’d like to recommend a leading role candidate from among our Academy cadets.”

“Hmm? Are you talking about the Academy students?”

“Looking at the plan, it seems like it’s going to be a special performance that’s going to be held mostly in the evenings, and for a relatively short period of time, right?”

The professor said, glancing at the note he had returned earlier.

“Then I think our students can participate without any burden as a good experience. It doesn’t overlap with class time, and it won’t be a periodic re-performance like the author’s previous works.”

Ah, definitely.

The that I planned was, in common parlance, a short and sharp limited edition that hit and run.

The students started to fight each other because they misread the lessons of the .

Didn’t they make the scale of the play particularly large in order to end that fight?

An elf acrobatics troupe that will provide the visual feast and accompaniment for right now.

It would be impossible to maintain a long-term collaboration with them due to their respective schedules.

“Actually, there is one student I am teaching who is a good fit. He has been practicing swordsmanship for many years, and his acting and singing skills are not bad either.”

“Is that so? You are a very versatile student. Who is that?”

When I asked with anticipation, the professor smiled and answered.

“This guy is Balthazar Arture. He is a member of the Count Arture family, a traditional military family in the southern part of the Empire.”

“Cook, keuhup! Kukheuk, keukkeu-!!”

“Hey, are you okay? Is there a fish bone in your throat?”

“Oh, no. It’s just that I stopped by for a moment, croak croak!”

She pretended to be calm, wiping her mouth with a flower-patterned napkin.

But inside, I was so flustered that I was just talking nonsense.

Who? Me?

No, why all of a sudden? Since when did you consider me a talent in the arts and physical education field? Yes?

“Ah, the young master of Count Arthur’s family. Interesting. Do you know why he recommends that student?”

“He’s a student I’ve been teaching since he was in the first grade, and he’s actually quite talented.”

Professor Gabi answered my question with a smile.

“I have a keen eye for talent, so I never miss out on talented kids. That’s why I’m keeping a close eye on Balthazar.”

“… … I guess he was a student who left quite an impression?”

“Of course. I had him read a play as part of a liberal arts class, and he seemed to have some talent. However, since he hasn’t acted often, it’s definitely not polished, so there are some awkward and strange parts. He needs guidance on that, though.”

Aha. You mean that one from my freshman year? To be honest, I participated quite diligently to get good grades.

Aside from the fact that it is a fun and entertaining lecture, Professor Gabi’s grading standards are also quite strict.

By the way, I also came in last place for my role as Brutus in the cosplay contest.

I thought I had less talent for acting than I thought, but it seems the professor thought differently.

Did you still think of me as a pearl that had not been properly polished?

“Yes, well… … Okay. If it’s Professor Gabi’s introduction, I guess I can trust it. But if you’re an Academy student, aren’t you pretty busy? I don’t think you’ll have time because you’re so focused on your studies?”

It’s a lie. To be honest, I’ve had a lot of time since I drank the Philosopher’s Stone.

My writing speed has literally increased to an overwhelming level. Thanks to that, I can do work that would take others hours in just 10 minutes.

Then Professor Gabi shrugged his shoulders and said slyly.

“First of all, I’m just making a suggestion to the child. If he rejects it, there’s nothing I can do, but it’s still a loss.”

“Hmm.”

“And since this is a personal request, if you accept, I will pay the price. Wouldn’t that be enough to tempt you?”

“What is the price? Are you talking about the profit distribution of Farewell My Concubine?”

“Ah, profit sharing is a given when you’re the main character. What I’m talking about is the compensation you can give to your students as a professor. Hmm, so if I have to name a few… … ”

The professor, who had been thinking for a moment, smiled brightly.

Then he looked at me in a cheerful tone and said.

“The midterms are coming up soon, so how about giving me a guaranteed A+ on the exam? I was planning on giving an alternative assignment related to collaboration in the arts industry anyway.”

“… … ”

“Huh? Author Phantom?”

I will do it. I will definitely do it.

I wrote a play to make money, and I’m playing the lead role just to kill time, and I even get an A+ for free?

Oh, there’s absolutely no reason not to do this. Of course not.