I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy

“Rosalyn senpai? Are you okay?”
“Huh? Ah, sorry. I was just daydreaming a bit.”
Rosalyn Wenford was wandering the academy grounds with Balthazar. She snapped back to reality at the call of her junior and looked up.
“What were you thinking so deeply about? Is there some problem?”
“No, it’s just that I have some things on my mind.”
With a bright smile, Rosalyn clasped her hands behind her back.
Balthazar, subtly keeping away the crafty men, was a truly kind and lovable junior, but he also had his own troubles he couldn’t share.
“Could Diana’s words really be true?”
That Phantom might be one of the Bronde students?
The speculations shared by a close friend at Blanc Le Roise wouldn’t leave her mind.
The evidence the princess presented consisted of two points.
First, the unique vocabulary revealed in Phantom’s script.
From Diana’s observations, there was a discernible pattern in the words used by the Phantom Writer.
These words were advanced vocabulary learned by academy students striving to build dignity as upper-class gentlemen and ladies.
Expressions that weren’t commonly used in daily life but had to be nominally used within Bronde flashed in her mind.
The second point was the fact that the Phantom deliberately conceals his identity.
If Phantom were not from the upper class, there would be no reason to hide his identity.
If the goal was wealth and fame as an artist, it would be smarter to reveal oneself and gain attention.
Yet, the extreme reluctance to let his identity be known suggested he may not want to be caught associating with the lower-class actors.
Combining these two possibilities, there was only one conclusion to be drawn.
“I’m sure it’s right. Diana is always clever.”
Then, who could it be?
Over the last few days, Rosalyn had observed students with artistic talents, doubting countless times.
However, not a single person felt like, “This is the one!”
And as she couldn’t draw a clear conclusion…
“Balthazar?”
“What is it, senpai?”
“Maybe the Phantom Writer is someone who has lost someone precious?”
“…Suddenly?”
Rosalyn had unwittingly let her imagination soar.
“I just have this feeling. The sadness of Admiral Lee losing his mother during the war, and the sorrow of Caesar losing his daughter during the Gallic expedition. The depth of that grief cannot be expressed without having lost someone.”
Her ailing mother, who passed away after coming to see Admiral Lee on the battlefield.
Caesar’s daughter, Julia Caesaris, who died in childbirth.
Both roles displayed a sensitivity that made it hard to believe they had created something from nothing, right?
Unlike others, Rosalyn could empathize with that sorrow deeply.
After all, she was a daughter who nearly lost her father, Sir William Wenford.
Thus, her final conclusion was this.
“Perhaps the Phantom Writer has already lost his mother. His longing could be why he depicts the loss of a mother or daughter so vividly. What do you think, Balthazar?”
“……”
“Balthazar? What’s wrong? You look down.”
“No, it’s just… but saying ‘mother has passed’ sounds kind of…”
“Huh? Why?”
Unknowingly, Rosalyn had killed Balthazar’s mother in her mind.
Balthazar’s reluctance to speak and his puzzled expression left her blissfully ignorant of the source of his discomfort.
“Umm, urgent news! Urgent news!”
A junior ran toward them, gasping.
He began shouting as loudly as he could for all the nearby students to hear.
“News about the Phantom Writer’s new work has come out! The debut will be next Monday! This time at the Geloroushina Public Theater instead of the Killgrewber Private Theater!”

Bzzzt
The isekai version of Charlie Chaplin, Chaplin’s Comedy, made an explosive impact on society.
Yet this impact wasn’t grand or reformative.
Unlike during Admiral Lee, there wasn’t an effort to boost the soldiers’ courage.
And, like during Julius Caesar, there wasn’t a shift in the mindset of politicians this time either.
Instead, Charlie Chaplin-style comedy brought a much more fundamental and definite change.
That change was laughter.
“Heheheh, snort…!”
“Grunt, gasp!”
“Class is in session. Please do not make noise.”
The professor reprimanded while drawing elemental magic formulas on the board.
The students who made the noise attempted to stifle their laughter.
However, despite their efforts…
“Pffft!”
“Hah! Hehe…!”
Laughter exploded from another part of the classroom.
And as soon as everyone in the class realized what had provoked their laughter…
“Hahaha!”
“Pfft! Aha! Hoho!”
“Hic, haah, hurr…!”
The sacred learning space instantly transformed into a place of explosive laughter.
There was no boundary between seniors and juniors, boys and girls.
Even the professor, who was visibly displeased, remembered Chaplin’s comedy and couldn’t hold back his laughter.
This was not a change limited to the academy.
People across the Empire began to burst into laughter.
Even former enemies, who had been fiercely fighting moments before, laughed explosively at each other.
“Hahaha, I’m sorry about back then. I was too narrow-minded, wasn’t I?”
“Heh, no! I was the one being unreasonable! I’m sorry too!”
“Lady Max, take this potato and eat it. It’s an apology for what I said carelessly.”
“Thank you! Lady Hans, take this turnip. I was being grumpy for no good reason, causing you stress.”
In front of laughter, there were no borders.
Laughter transcended generations, genders, personalities, and social classes.
And at the center of this laughter stood a mustached gentleman with a black hat and a cane.
“Hang in there! Let’s not talk about dying! We will endure!”
The protagonist ‘Chaplin,’ who commonly appeared in the Chaplin’s Comedy series.
What he offered was not just fleeting laughter.
He also tenderly and warmly touched upon the people’s struggles and sorrows.
Thanks to this, after a grueling day, people naturally came to see the Geloroushina Theater Company, clutching their ticket fees.
While watching Champion, people cheered on the journey of an ordinary man.
In The Gold Rush, they hailed the protagonist’s delightful success.
In Witch Craft Times, they all envisioned a hopeful yet uncertain future together.
However, overwhelmingly popular among young and old, regardless of social class, was The Great Mayor.
“Those who spread hatred enslave us while liberating themselves! Let’s reconcile to fulfill the promise they made! Come, let’s sing to eradicate greed, hatred, and exclusion! Together, let’s create a world of common sense governed by happiness through the advancements of magic and technology!”
“Haha! Nicely said!”
“Hey, young protagonist! Don’t forget to breathe while reciting your speech like last time, haha!”
The Great Dictator of Charlie Chaplin was modified and presented as The Great Mayor.
Despite being a work based on liberal ideals, its popularity surged, thanks to Phantom’s clever adaptations.
“Therefore, let’s use that power in His Merciful Majesty the Emperor’s name! Let’s achieve harmony!”
The dictator ‘Hinkel’ was now the mayor Hinkel, managing the fictional city of ‘Tomeinia.’
The oppressed mass was now bumbling around in the city, suffering due to the incompetent mayor.
The speeches that once cried out for struggle and liberation had transformed into calls for reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.
At the same time, the original democratic narrative, calling for democracy, was slightly altered, portraying the absurdity of electing a dubious leader through voting, leading to suffering.
Hinkel’s real-life model was the dictator Adolf Hitler, elected by the democratic vote of the Germans.
Knowing this, Phantom cleverly reflected history, twisting the theme a bit.
Thus, a sophisticated parody that maintained an appropriate level of satire was completed, even by Empire standards.
Anyone could enjoy it without excessive discomfort, be they commoners or nobles.
“Haha, that was fun today! See you tomorrow, my friend.”
“Sure! You paid today, so tomorrow, I’ll treat you to a drink.”
“Hey, how about a family outing next time? It would be nice for the kids to have fun too.”
After watching a comedy, surprisingly, people completely forgot their day’s fatigue.
Feelings of annoyance or unresolved frustrations melted away like snow.
The call for unity raised by the protagonist, the barber Chaplin, could be seen.
What the playwright Phantom gifted to the Empire’s citizens was indeed that power.
…Of course, this power also came with its side effects.
“So, uh, um, eep! The national defense budget set by the council this year! Pffpt!”
“The movements of the barbarian tribes at the border! The Imperial army’s weapon systems to counter them! Haah!”
“Now, you! Can’t you speak properly? Is a national policy meeting a joke?”
“I-I’m sorry, Your Excellency! I’m not doing this on purpose! It’s the new work written by Phantom! The scene where the famished Big Jim mistakes Chaplin for a chicken and chases him! Hahaha-*”
“Damn it! I was barely holding it together and you had to mention that!”
In governmental affairs of the Empire and even in discussions of state matters, laughter began to erupt everywhere.
It got so bad that some days, they would all just laugh to end the meeting.
Isn’t there a saying that “laughter is contagious”?
Phantom had inadvertently unleashed a laughter epidemic across the Empire.