episode_0034

“Here it is, Your Majesty. It is a replica sword made by the best craftsman, modeled after Xiang Yu’s Longquan Sword.”

“Oh, that was good! Good job, Bernhard!”

A spacious room in the luxuriously decorated palace.

The black-haired boy accepted the toy offered by his large, bear-like subordinate.

He, who had been smiling brightly, asked for a status report in a somewhat serious voice.

“What about the ongoing swordsman training project? Is it progressing smoothly?”

“Of course. I can’t perfectly copy the martial arts in Farewell My Concubine yet, but I still have a grasp of the concept of a unit that combines magic and swordsmanship.”

“Yes, well done! Tell them not to worry about the funds needed for the project! I, Wolfgang, the prince of the empire, will persuade the emperor to continue investing money!”

“Your Honor. I will now step aside.”

A large subordinate who leaves the seat with polite words.

Then the black-haired boy, Prince Wolfgang von Clausewitz, picked up the toy with an excited expression.

“General of the Jin Dynasty, Zhang Han! Come out and receive the sword of the overlord!”

A special model commissioned by him, who was obsessed with , using up all his allowance.

I really like how every little detail is identical to Xiang Yu’s sword.

The princess, who was reading at the table next to her, scolded the prince as he looked at her.

“Wolfgang, are you skipping your tutoring classes again to play the king? If your mother finds out, she’ll be angry.”

“Ugh, Sister. Please don’t be so naughty… … ”

“Hoohoo.”

She smiled gently as she looked into her little sister’s bright eyes.

Although there is a large age difference between the two siblings, their friendship is even closer because of that.

Not long after Wolfgang was born, the empress passed away from illness, and naturally, his older sister Diana took on the role of Wolfgang’s mother.

That’s why Wolfgang also respected and revered his older sister like another parent.

“Do you like Xiang Yu so much, Wolfgang? To the point where you follow that elf all day long? It wasn’t like this when Phantom’s other works came out, right?”

“Of course! Isn’t that the greatest hero, Sister!”

Wolfgang nods excitedly at Diana’s question.

A young boy, barely twelve years old, picked up a toy sword, swung it around, and shouted.

“How is it! This is the spirit that uproots mountains and turns the world upside down, the might of the overlord who fights against all people! Who can stand in Xiang Yu’s way!”

The line that Xiang Yu repeats like a habit in is, ‘How is it (何如)’.

It was a phrase that clearly showed his arrogant personality while always being at the forefront.

Diana smiled mysteriously as she watched her younger sister proudly following suit.

“Well, I don’t know, Sister. Do you think Hang-woo will be the final winner?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“What does that mean? You and I have been watching Phantom’s works for a day or two?”

Chomp!

The pages pass through the princess’s hands with a complaint.

This is the first edition of that I have read and re-read several times since its publication.

Diana quietly added as she scanned the phrase ‘Know thyself’ written on the wall of the temple at Delphi.

“There is always a driving force behind people’s actions, Wolfgang. Everyone has their own motivation to open up the world.”

The same was true for all the ‘hero’-type protagonists in Phantom’s play.

Admiral Lee’s driving force is his noble loyalty and belief in protecting the country and its people.

Caesar’s driving force was personal ambition and noblesse oblige.

Moses’ driving force was his strong faith and sense of duty to save his people.

“On the other hand, what about Xiang Yu? What drives him?”

“Uh, uh… … So, a sense of justice?”

“Anger. And revenge, Wolfgang.”

Anger towards the Jin Dynasty that took away his hometown, a desire for revenge against the enemy who murdered his uncle, Hang Liang, and a sword aimed at those who dared to oppose him.

That is the most decisive difference that separates Xiang Yu from the protagonists of all time.

And to Diana, the difference never felt like a coincidence.

“Hang-woo can never be the final winner, Wolfgang. In the end, his personality will get the better of him, causing a major accident and ending in his own demise.”

“What are you talking about! There’s no way Xiang Yu would be defeated! He’s a peerless hero who brought a million-strong army to their knees!”

“Really? Then shall we make a bet? The premiere date for the second half has also been confirmed.”

Diana elegantly rests her chin on her hand while watching her angry younger sister.

She suggested, glancing sideways at her sister’s collection.

“If Xiang Yu wins, I will give you the most precious items from my sister’s collection. However, if Xiang Yu loses, I will take some of your collection. What do you think?”

The Clausewitz siblings were both born with a collector’s bent.

After becoming an avid fan of Phantom, I also started actively collecting related collectibles.

That’s why sometimes they have no choice but to compete with each other over unique products.

Wolfgang responded with a confident expression.

“Oh my! You were also a Han Wang breast cancer patient? Alright! Let’s bet! I won’t let you cry and regret it later!”

“Huh, yeah. Okay. ”

So Prince Wolfgang believed in the rise of Xiang Yu Coin and went into full purchase.

… … without even noticing the dark clouds of destruction that loomed over the future.

A few days later.

The first half of was discontinued in Gelorusina, and instead, a poster for the second half was put up.

As before, a charming watercolor painting featuring the hero Xiang Yu in the forefront.

However, the catchphrase of the piece was changed to a completely different phrase from the first half.

If the catchphrase of the first half was “reverse emanation of energy,” “power to pull out mountains,” and “energy that shakes the world.”

The catchphrase of the second half was “Get it on horseback, govern on horseback.”

“You can conquer the world on horseback, but you can’t rule the world on horseback?”

A man tilts his head as he looks at the interpretation below the text written in Elvish script.

“What does this mean? It’s such a mysterious expression, almost like a riddle?”

“Hey. You’ll know once you go in. I’m curious about the aftermath of Xiang Yu, so let’s go in quickly.”

The audience enters the theater while chatting away.

They chatter, anticipating what kind of incomparable skill Xiang Yu will show this time.

… … And as she peeked through the curtain, Rosalind swallowed hard.

“Are you nervous, senior?”

“Yeah, a little bit.”

Rosalind, the senior, looks back at me in my costume and smiles bashfully.

Currently, she is dressed as Woo-hee, another main character in the second half.

Is it because I referenced Rosalind a lot when creating Woohee’s character?

The image of being innocent, yet sickly and elegant went surprisingly well together.

It was as if the real historical beauty Woo-hee, not my senior, was standing in front of me.

“But it’s okay. I practiced a lot.”

“… … ”

He says it’s okay, but it seems like he’s really nervous because it’s his first stage.

I, too, went through similar stages after accepting the role of Hang-woo, lured by the prospect of an A+ grade.

So I stretched out my arm for a moment and grabbed Rosalind’s palm.

“Huh? Balthazar?”

“Just wait a minute.”

“What?!”

Rosalind frowns slightly and shakes her shoulders. Her healthy, rosy cheeks turn a deep red like cherries.

… … Of course, I didn’t do anything strange to her.

Because I just applied acupressure to some points on the palm to relieve the nerve constriction.

After giving a long massage like that.

“How is it? Are you feeling a little more relaxed now?”

“… … Yeah. I think it’s calmed down a lot. Where did you learn such useful things, Balthazar?”

“, well. My house is empty. It’s like the first aid method I learned from my father.”

“First aid? Balthazar, you really know a lot of interesting things, don’t you?”

That’s a lie. It’s just an acupressure technique that I learned as a Korean who is familiar with Oriental medicine.

I just learned it for fun, but I found that there are more places where I can use it than I thought.

“That’s right. You’ve always been very knowledgeable. You have a lot of trivia I’ve never heard of, and you’re good at coming up with unique ideas that are different from others.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sometimes it feels like I’m not from this world. Like I’ve come from a completely different world.”

It was a little hot. My senior said it like that, but I almost got goosebumps for a moment.

In reality, there is a mixture of Ha Eun-seong from my past life and Balthazar from my present life inside me.

“Does that make you feel bad? Do you think I’m a bit of a weird guy?”

A senior shaking his head at a joke he made.

A soft, cloud-like, yet infinitely beautiful crescent moon bloomed at the corner of her mouth.

“No? On the contrary, something more attractive? I’m truly happy to be with you, Balthazar.”

“Oh, really?”

This is true. It probably doesn’t mean anything, but it’s a little embarrassing.

Anyway, our innocent senior Rosalind. It’s good that she’s kind, but she lacks the awareness that she’s a beauty who can instantly capture men’s hearts.

At that moment, the stage manager’s shout was heard from the side.

“Okay, let’s start the show! In 10 seconds, we’ll run out tearing up the posters!”

So I held out my hand as if I was escorting her.

“Then shall we go, my Woohee?”

“Huh, yes.”

In line with this, Rosalind, the senior, blooms with a bright smile like a summer rose.

She answered me in a sweet voice, looking into my eyes that were as clear as emeralds.

“Let’s go together, my tyrant.”

That was the moment when my senior and I were about to become a couple.

“Oh, right. Senior, did you happen to receive the script revisions?”

“Changes? Yeah, I got them. Why? ”

“Oh, no. Then forget it.”

… … But did you really receive it? I have a strange feeling that you don’t know.

The second half had several minor script revisions to enhance its impact.

The main plot remains the same, but some of the directing has been refined for entertainment and romance.

But after the final rehearsal, when we were hastily adding one final revision before the opening, my senior was not present for the discussion because he had to meet his father.

Moreover, the scene of Xiang Yu and Yu Xi that was added there was… …

“Excuse me, senior? You really got it, right? We have another revised version… … ”

“3, 2, 1! It starts now! All actors, get to your positions!”

But there was no time to ask any more questions.

Because the second half of opened with magnificent music.

Ding ding ding-!!

[The spirit stands against the rough waves, and the boiling blood in my heart is hotter than that red sun~♬]

[Iron-like courage, steel-like bones, grand ambitions in the chest, eyes that shine for thousands of miles~♫]

The theme song of Farewell My Concubine played by the Elf Acrobat Troupe before the start of the show.

The audience spontaneously danced to the lively melody of Nam A Dang Ja Gang and burst into laughter.

This is because in the first half of Farewell My Concubine, the character who would become the ‘main character’ of the play made a majestic entrance by tearing the picture in the center, simultaneously with the music.

“Hahaha, is it finally starting?”

“Come out quickly, Hang-woo! Show me your amazing martial arts today!”

The audience cheers and competes to find the Seocho Paewang.

In response, someone tears up a watercolor painting and runs out onto the stage.

… … But that wasn’t Xiang Yu.

[Hahahaha! This! Were you all expecting Xiang Yu to appear?]

The son of the Red Emperor, wearing a red uniform and red cloak.

Liu Bang, the arch-rival of the overlord Xiang Yu, appeared with a sly smile.

[Seochopaewang! Surely you haven’t already forgotten about your sworn brother, Elder Yoobang?]

Sreung!

The actor playing the role of Breasts shouted as he pulled out the sword that had cut down the giant white snake.

[Han King Liu Bang has returned after overcoming the humiliation of Hongmunyeon! Let’s fight for the supremacy of the world once more, hahahaha!]

King Liu Bang of Han returned to the throne with great enthusiasm to fight for world domination.

However, compared to the initial momentum, the results were not very good.

An overwhelming number of allied forces, dissatisfied with Xiang Yu, flocked to Liu Bang.

By mobilizing them, they succeeded in temporarily taking over Pengcheng, the capital of the state of Chu, but…

… … Because he was completely defeated by Xiang Yu, who returned with only a small detachment of soldiers.

[Breast! How dare you attack me-!!]

Xiang Yu shouts as he kills King Sima Ang of Yin and King Xianyang of Henan in succession.

The Battle of Pyeongseong, where an enemy numbering 560,000 was defeated by a mere 30,000 soldiers.

The opening ceremony of the second half of was a battle that could be seen as completely ignoring common sense and military tactics.

“Hahaha! I knew it! Run away, you cowardly breast!”

“It was obvious from the beginning! How could a king like Han dare to mess with a tyrant?”

“Hurry up and trample on him, Xiang Yu! Show the tyrant what he will pay for!”

Yoobang, who hurriedly runs away, abandoning both her family and subordinates.

Most of the audience burst into laughter at his pitiful antics.

On the other hand, the few breast fans who were there swallowed tears and screamed.

“Ugh, King Han! I thought you’d be active since you showed up so energetically… … !”

“Eww! I was really looking forward to this, what is this?! Phantom author! Please, Han Wang’s breasts should be raised-!!”

In any case, the Battle of Pengcheng was a complete victory for Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu.

Of the 560,000, 100,000 were brutally killed in the battle, and 200,000 were captured by the Chu army.

Seeing this overwhelming performance, the audience thought that this time Xiang Yu would once again dominate the world like in the first part.

… … But then suddenly the plot started to take a strange turn.

[I have fought day and night to destroy the evil Jin and restore the old order of the World Tree. And yet, you dare to fall for that bastard’s tongue, Liu Bang, and rebel against this tyrant?]

Xiang Yu, sitting on the golden throne of the state of Chu, wearing the dragon armor and holding the Longchuan sword, was administering state affairs.

He, who had been frowning with his characteristically arrogant expression, suddenly gave an unimaginable order.

The Shinan Massacre, which was briefly omitted in the first half at Phantom’s discretion.

This is the exact same command, without any differences.

[General Yong-jeo. Bury alive all 200,000 Allied troops captured as prisoners. There will be no mercy for those who disrupt Xiang Yu’s order.]

“Huh? What, what, what, what did you say?!”

“Po, bury all the prisoners alive? 200,000 of them?!”

The audience opened their eyes wide and hesitated at the king’s decision.

Of course, the massacre of prisoners is quite common even in this medieval world.

Because in pre-modern times, when awareness of human rights was relatively low, the value of human life was lower than expected.

But, no matter what, burying 200,000 innocent soldiers is an action that goes beyond common sense.

This is something that the characters in also agree with.

[Tyrant! Please reconsider! You must not commit such a heinous crime-!!]

Fan Zeng hanging on the lapel of his lord and disciple, Xiang Yu.

He shouted as best he could, with a look of horror on his face.

[We have risen up in order to destroy the great evil called Jin and save the people! But if we kill all the people, all the work we have done so far will be in vain! This is not befitting of a tyrant!]

[Let go, Abu! What is not like me!]

However, Xiang Yu shook off his teacher’s hand as if he found it annoying.

Then, he turned around to the audience with an angry expression and shouted.

[I have trampled the enemy with my sword and achieved peace centered on the state of Chu! So I will respond with my sword to anyone who dares to go against the natural order!]

[Overlord! No matter what, this is not right! If it were the King of Han and his generals, wouldn’t it be okay? Aren’t they innocent soldiers!]

[Innocent soldier? Don’t make me laugh! Those who dare to rebel against Xiang Yu’s order are just as evil as the Qin Dynasty! This is the most appropriate decision for me, so don’t argue anymore, Abu!]

The atmosphere of the play turned 180 degrees in an instant.

And the audience who couldn’t keep up with it were at a loss.

In front of them, the actor playing the role of Beomjeung recited a monologue in a bewildered tone.

[Oh my! It’s a sly thing! Ah, foolish Fan Zeng! How could I have missed the king falling into a pit of fear!]

“shi, Simma? Will you buy it?”

“What the heck? What the hell is that?”

[Simma and Salgeop! What on earth is it!]

For those who were confused, a narrator appeared and explained the setting of the wuxia story.

The devil in the heart is the darkness that has taken root deep in the mind and is manifested when it gains great power.

The karma of killing people indiscriminately accumulates into increasingly cruel and brutal karma.

The faces of the audience turned pale when they heard this.

“That, is that so?”

“Because you rely too much on violence… …you’ve become corrupted without even realizing it?”

There are many Christian tales in this world where a hero falls into the devil’s trap and becomes corrupted.

Thanks to this, the audience was able to metaphorically understand the situation in which things were going smoothly without a large crowd.

Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, appeared as a warrior who defeated the Demon King’s army and the Jin Dynasty in the first half.

In the second half, it was the moment when he was reborn as a tyrant no different from Qin Shi Huang.