episode_0002

“Hey, relax your expression. If someone saw you, they’d think you were at a funeral.”

Maurice sips a steaming cup of herbal tea and grumbles.

The guy smiled faintly and teased me in a sly manner.

“The whole school was in an uproar, huh? Regardless of social status, all the students were talking about Admiral Lee?”

Admiral Lee.

This is the name of the play and the localization of Admiral Yi Sun-sin into an appropriately other-worldly version.

It is roughly set up as something that happened in a distant country in the East.

‘It’s a good thing Orientalism is rampant in this world too.’

Cultural fantasies that Westerners had about Eastern countries, such as Turkic, Chinoiserie, and Japonesque.

Orientalism is a trend that praises the exotic mystery of the East from a Western-centric perspective.

There was a similar trend in the other world’s Holy Empire, so it was buried to some extent.

Because of this, the costumes didn’t match the authenticity and the names were all changed subtly, but it was an inevitable choice to meet the audience’s expectations.

The famous opera ‘Turandot’ by Italian composer Puccini is also set in China, but doesn’t it feature strange and outrageous names of unknown nationalities, such as Emperor Altom and Princess Turandot?

But I found it difficult to be at ease with this success.

Because even though it was successful, it was done to an excessive extent.

“Wow! You know Admiral Lee! This is really freaking hilarious!”

“Hey. I haven’t seen it yet, but is Admiral Lee that exciting? Isn’t it just one of those plays that are so prevalent?”

“What? You still haven’t seen Admiral Lee? Where have you been living in a cave?”

“A play that is so prevalent? Get out of here right now. I won’t talk to a low-level seed like you.”

Whether going to school, attending lectures, or returning to the dormitory, everyone only mentions .

They keep talking so much, I’m starting to get a little neurotic.

In fact, if I had been moderately successful, I might have revealed my identity to brag about it.

This also serves as proof that I have set an example for those arrogant and extreme guys.

But when you become this successful, it becomes very burdensome to reveal your identity.

“The sea battle in Admiral Lee! Wasn’t that scene amazing?”

“You said you got goosebumps when the school wings were fully spread out? Breaking the enemy’s spirit with one great victory, Kiyaa!”

“What if a turtle ship made of iron armor appears? The playwright who wrote Admiral Lee is a god!”

This is the story of the Battle of Hansando.

It would have been roughly the middle part of the story.

The place I provided the scenario to was a mega-theater company that was considered first-class even in the capital.

Not only is it equipped with various magical devices, but it was also once used as a colosseum, so it is large enough to even demonstrate mock naval battles, making it possible to easily display the exploits of General Yi Sun-sin.

Of course, since the life of Admiral Yi Sun-sin itself was turned into a play, there was a lot of compression and adaptation involved.

For example, except for the Battle of Hansando and the Battle of Myeongnyang, the remaining naval battles were deleted or narrated to speed up the story.

Battle of Okpo, Battle of Sacheon, Battle of Danghangpo, Battle of Angolpo, etc.

If we had covered all of this, the play would have shown no signs of ending.

In addition, a significant number of characters related to the Imjin War were inevitably deleted.

Key figures necessary for the story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, including Won Gyun, Ryu Seong-ryong, and Todo Takatora.

I decided that it would be much more immersive to just leave them and fix the stem.

“Ugh, that damn traitor Walken! I thought I got cancer because of that bastard!”

“That damn bastard destroyed Admiral Lee’s invincible fleet! Even that awesome turtle ship! I almost cried when the turtle ship sank!”

“Don’t you try to frame Admiral Lee whenever you get a chance, steal Admiral Lee’s achievements, and blow up the entire fleet while meddling with your incompetent self! I’m even angrier because the actor acted well!”

“Still, it was so satisfying to die! Even the enemy commander was so disgusted that he spit and got angry, so what. Hehe.”

This is the story of the Battle of Chilcheollyang.

When I read about the Joseon Navy, which we raised together, being destroyed, I felt a little sad too.

Oh, by the way, Walken is a localized version of Wonkyun.

They intentionally recreated the character as something much more carcinogenic than the original to piss off the audience.

By strengthening the incompetent shit star temperament, the half-human personality, and the baseness of not caring about the means and methods for promotion hundreds of times over.

Instead, when he died, he gave the audience a bowl of cider.

Because the scene where he begs the enemy commander, saying, “If you spare my life, I will become a vanguard in the invasion,” was dramatized so that the enemy commander, unable to contain his disgust, scolded him with all sorts of curses and cut him down.

In the original history, he was a man who simply disappeared after the Battle of Chilcheollyang, so his life or death is unknown.

Since I was already writing a play about General Yi Sun-sin, I decided to kill him off in a flashy way.

Anyway, the writer is old. Isn’t it okay for him to exercise that much discretion?

“Hey, Balthazar. But you know.”

At that moment, Maurice, who was sipping herbal tea, asked secretly.

“The story of Admiral Lee that you envisioned. Is that really all there is to it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, it ended in a strange way. It’s good that they defeated 133 enemy ships with 12 ships, but what happened next? No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like it was the right time to end it.”

This is the story of the Battle of Myeongnyang.

In reality, there were 13 ships, including the Panokseon that joined later, and slightly more if you include the Chosun Ilbo, but the number was kept to 12 for dramatic fun.

‘But how did you know?’

Is there one more big event after the Battle of Myeongnyang?

“I’m not the only one who suspects this, right?”

Maurice shrugged his shoulders and grumbled.

“Most students are looking forward to the sequel. Admiral Lee is good, but the ending seems a bit disjointed, which is a flaw in the story.”

“That, is that so?”

The scenario for that I wrote ends with the Battle of Myeongnyang.

Since it was my first script, it was difficult to adjust the length, and I thought a happy ending would be better than a sad ending, so I intentionally cut it off there.

The Battle of Noryang, along with the Battle of Hansando and the Battle of Myeongnyang, is praised by Koreans as one of the three greatest naval battles of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.

In that battle, General Yi Sun-sin was killed by a Japanese bullet.

It’s unclear whether I simply gave the ending a poor finish, or whether the story gave people in this world a strange sense of foreboding because it was based on actual history.

But what’s important is that those who watched guessed the hidden answer.

“Well, I definitely had something in mind… … ”

“Is it there? As expected, it’s there!”

… … Why is this kid like this again?

We’ve been friends since birth, but this is the first time I’ve seen him this excited.

Could it be said that it reminds us of a child opening a gift from Santa Claus on Christmas Day?

What can I say, the thrill was as if I had discovered an unknown treasure that no one else knew about.

“Ha, yeah. I have that, but I’m just going to stop using it.”

“What? Why? Why on earth? How come? For what reason?”

“… … Is this really such a disappointing problem?”

I feel sorry for Maurice, but honestly, I was sincere.

To begin with, the play is not a movie or drama that is based on the premise of “To be continued.”

A play must have a complete story with an introduction, development, turn, and conclusion as one script.

At the point when the audience feels that the story has suddenly ended, it is already a failure.

And with expectations so high, you want me to release a sequel?

And it’s even based on a historical event that’s set to have a spectacular sad ending?

From the perspective of someone who just wants to graduate and live comfortably with their family, it’s just a refusal.

Maurice, seeing my stubborn expression, slyly changed the subject.

“Aren’t you the one? The students are planning a protest these days?”

“Protest? What protest?”

“What kind of protest is this? It’s a protest to quietly release a sequel to Admiral Lee. Isn’t the angriest time for people to stop talking? Everyone is going to gather in front of the theater with picket signs and make a fuss.”

No, this isn’t some weekly fiction magazine.

Does it make sense to go to a theater and protest and ask for the next episode?

“If that sounds like a lie, look at that. Can’t you see that everyone is getting a little excited?”

At my dumbfounded expression, Maurice points around as if to prove his point.

There, the academy students gathered in a crowded place were strengthening their resolve with solemn expressions.

“Everyone! If our guess is correct, this is a clear outrage on the part of the theater! They cut off the most exciting part while showing Admiral Lee’s activities! Where in the world is there such a cruel outrage!”

“That’s right! I suffered from insomnia for three days and nights because I was curious about Admiral Lee’s backstory!”

“I lost my appetite and lost weight! Look at this! My wrists are as skinny as bones!”

“No, I think you should lose some weight… … ”

“Shut up!”

Oh my. They play well together.

It was a feast of childishness that only elicited laughter, but as Morris said, I couldn’t just turn away from it.

The Imperial Bronde Academy is a place of education where the Empire’s best talents gather.

If the students there continue to protest, it could easily develop into a serious issue.

“And besides, Imma. You don’t even know this because you’re so calm, right?”

Maurice raises the corners of his mouth as he looks at me, just clicking my tongue.

Then he gave me some news that really put the seriousness of the situation into perspective.

“His Highness Prince Wolfgang is also staying up all night waiting for Admiral Lee’s follow-up?”

“What?”

“If you pretend not to know this, you are disloyal? Even if the guards come and arrest you later, I won’t know? Do you know that I will accept His Majesty the Emperor, His Highness the Princess, and His Highness the Young Prince’s complaints well?”

… … Sigh.

“Okay, I got it. ”

If you write it, it will work, if you write it.

This fucking monarchy is so dirty.