I Became A Playwright In Medieval Fantasy

“Hey, loosen up your expression. Anyone would think you were at a funeral.”

slurp
Morris sipped his steaming herbal tea while grinning mischievously. He shot me a teasing look with his cheeky smile.

“Everyone’s buzzing about it, dude! Students from all backgrounds are chattering away about Admiral Lee!”

Admiral Lee.
A localized version of the historical figure Yi Sun-sin for this world, and also the title of the play.
Just thrown into some vague setting about distant Eastern lands, you know?

‘Good thing this world is also swamped with Orientalism.’
Turquerie, Chinoiserie, Japonisme—Western culture’s fanciful notions about Eastern countries!
That trend praising the exotic mysteries of the East from a Eurocentric perspective? Yep, that’s Orientalism.

There’s a similar current in this isekai’s Holy Empire, which is why it got slipped in there.
Thanks to that, the costume accuracy got tossed out the window, and all the names were awkwardly renamed, but hey, you gotta make choices to meet the audience’s eye level!

Even Puccini’s masterpiece opera ‘Turandot’—set in China but filled with bizarre names like Emperor Altoum and Princess Turandot—right?

But I couldn’t comfortably celebrate this success.
Because it became too much of a hit!

“Wow! So you know Admiral Lee! It’s so freaking good!”
“Hey. I haven’t seen it yet, is Admiral Lee that exciting? It’s just one of those dime-a-dozen plays, right?”
“What? You still haven’t seen it? Did you live in a cave or something?”
“A dime-a-dozen play? Get lost! I don’t wanna talk to a lowbrow like you!”

Even when going to school, attending lectures, or heading back to the dorm, everyone kept mentioning Admiral Lee.
With all this constant talk, I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown!
If it had just been moderately successful, I might have revealed my identity out of pride.
It would be proof that I showed those arrogant theater folks a thing or two.

But with this level of success, revealing my identity felt incredibly burdensome.
“That naval battle in Admiral Lee! Wasn’t that scene just epic?”
“When they deployed the crane-wing formation, I got goosebumps! To crush the enemy’s spirit in one major victory—kiyyaa!”
“What about when that ironclad turtle ship showed up? The playwright for Admiral Lee is a genius!”

That’s a story about the Battle of Hansando.
It was probably around the midpoint of the plot.
The place I provided the script to is a top-tier massive theater company in the capital.
Of course, they’ve got all sorts of magical gadgets, and since they once even used it for coliseum purposes, they had the scale to faithfully portray Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s exploits.

Of course, compressing and adapting Admiral Yi’s entire life into a play meant significant adjustments were made.
For instance, they cut out or summarized the naval battles besides Hansando and Myeongnyang for quick pacing.
Okpo, Sacheon, Danghangpo, Angolpo, and more.
If they addressed everything, the play would never end!

Besides, many characters related to the Imjin War had to be inevitably cut.
Won Gyun, Ryu Seong-ryong, Todo Takatora—key figures necessary for Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s saga.
It made more sense to leave just them for better immersion in the narrative.

“Ugh, but that damn scheming Wokun! Thought I was gonna get sick of it while watching!”
“That bastard smashed all of Admiral Lee’s invincible fleet! Even that cool turtle ship! I almost cried when that turtle ship sank!”
“Always slandering Admiral Lee, snatching his achievements, and acting all high and mighty while losing the whole fleet! The actor played it so well that it made me angrier!”
“But it was so satisfying seeing him die! Even the enemy leader had to spit and rage in disgust! Hahaha.”

Now that’s about the Battle of Chilcheollyang.
I felt a bit sad writing about the Joseon Navy, which I’d nurtured like a precious gem, getting wrecked.

Oh, by the way, Wokun is the localized version of Won Gyun.
I recreated him as a much more irritating character than historical reality just to piss off the audience.
His incompetent commander vibe and terrible nature were cranked up hundreds of times for this role.
But hey, when he died, I served the audience a refreshing slice of revenge!
He was begging for his life before the enemy commander, saying, “If you spare me, I’ll be your collaborator!” and then got sliced up for being so detestable!
In true history, he simply went missing after the Battle of Chilcheollyang, so I decided to decisively kill him off in the play.
After all, as the writer, I should have that level of discretion, right?

“Hey, Balthazar. But, you know…”
Morris casually asked while sipping his herbal tea.
“The story of Admiral Lee you devised. Is that really all there is?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it ended in such a strange spot. Sure, defeating 133 enemy ships with 12 vessels is great, but what happens next? It doesn’t feel like it’s time to end yet.”

Now that’s about the Battle of Myeongnyang.
In reality, with one Panokseon joining later, it’s actually 13 vessels, and adding a Jeongjeon ship, it’s even more, but I kept it at 12 for dramatic effect.

‘But how did he know?’
That there’s another big event after the Battle of Myeongnyang?
“I’m not the only one who thinks this, right?”

shrugging shoulders
Morris filled the air with an air of smugness.
“Most students are expecting a sequel. They say Admiral Lee is great, but it feels a little unsatisfying with that abrupt ending!”
“Is that so?”

The script I wrote for Admiral Lee ends with the Battle of Myeongnyang.
As it’s my first time writing a script, managing the length was tough, and I figured a happy ending would be better than a sad one, so I ended it there intentionally.

Along with the Battles of Hansando and Myeongnyang, there’s the Battle of Noryang, which Koreans celebrate as the three great battles of the Great Admiral.
In that battle, Admiral Yi Sun-sin is killed by the enemy’s gunfire.
I’m not sure if I simply ended it poorly or if the reality of history gave the people of this world a strange sense of déjà vu.
But the important thing is that those who watched Admiral Lee figured out the hidden answers!

“Well, I definitely had some ideas…”
“You do? Oh, you definitely do!”

Why is he acting like this?
We’ve been friends since birth, but I’ve never seen him this excited.
It’s like seeing a kid unwrapping a present Santa Claus gave on Christmas!
What can I say, he looked like he just unearthed some unknown treasure all by himself!

“Sigh, well, I did have some ideas, but I was thinking of just dropping them.”
“What? Why? What? Why? What’s the reason?”
“Is it really that disappointing?”

Unfortunately for Morris, I was speaking the truth.
After all, a play isn’t supposed to be just a film or a drama with a ‘To be continued’ premise!
Plays have to possess completeness with a script that has a defined plot structure!
If the audience feels the story has abruptly cut off, that means it’s failed.

Plus, in a situation where expectations are running high, ask for a sequel?
And based on an event with a historical tragic ending, no less?
In a situation where I just want to graduate and live comfortably with my family, I’d rather decline!

Seeing my stubborn expression, Morris subtly changed the subject.
“Did you know? Students are planning protests these days?”
“Protests? What kind of protests?”
“What kind do you think? To calmly demand a sequel to Admiral Lee! You know how anger flares when someone cuts you off mid-sentence? Everyone’s getting ready to rally outside the theater with placards!”

Is this some kind of weekly novel magazine?
Going to a theater and demanding the next part? Doesn’t that make sense?
“If you think it’s a lie, just look. Can’t you see everyone getting worked up?”

Pointing to the lively crowds, Morris looked like he was making his case.
“Students at the academy are gathering together with solemn expressions, making their resolve!”
“Everyone! If our guess is correct, this is a blatant act of tyranny from the theater! To showcase Admiral Lee’s exploits and cut off right at the most exhilarating part! Where else in the world is such cruel tyranny found?”
“Right! I’ve been suffering from insomnia for three days just because I’m curious about Admiral Lee’s backstory!”
“I lost my appetite and lost weight! Look! My wrist is as skinny as a bone!”
“No, you might need to lose some weight anyway…”
“Shut up!”

Wow! They’re really having a blast.
It’s a ridiculous display of childishness making me chuckle, but, as Morris said, I couldn’t just ignore it.
The Bronde Academy is a place where the Empire’s top talents gather to be educated.
If those students continue protesting, it could escalate into a serious issue!

“And you, dude. Seeing you so nonchalant makes me think you don’t know about this?”
tsk
Morris smirked at me as I clicked my tongue.
Then he dropped a bombshell about the seriousness of the situation.
“The Crown Prince Wolfgang himself is staying up late, just waiting for the sequel to Admiral Lee!”

“What?”
“If you just pretend you didn’t know, that’s treason! Who knows? The royal guards might barge in and take you away? You know how the Emperor, Princess, and the young Crown Prince throw temper tantrums, right?”

…Damn.
“Fine, fine, I get it.”
I guess I just have to write it, right?
This cursed monarchal society is really something else!